New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination.  In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.

Fanatical Optimism

“Welcome to the land of debris and the home of decay”.  The title of Adam LeBow’s extremely detailed rant Fanatical Optimism might seem incongruous with his material.  Climate change, defense spending, AI, racism, cultural appropriation, “Ronald fucking Reagan”, corporate greed, religion and drag queens are some of the many hot buttons pressed.  I would love to see this show taped and watched by families during holiday get togethers.  Discussion would most certainly ensue.

For those with open eyes and ears, much of the territory covered will be sadly familiar.  “Nukes are back!”  America is consumed by the “same old tired imperial proxy war circus”.  Our economy based on “vast profit accumulation and wage suppression” is labeled “inflation”.  Revoking the Fairness Doctrine enabling broadcast media to stop presenting alternative points of view.

Artificial Intelligence is likened to the human race having bought the farm, sung Old MacDonald style:  “AI, AI, oh”.  The threat is our complacency.  We are letting AI take all of our jobs.  Cue Arnold Schwarzenegger jokes.  The problem is dauntingly large.  Mr. LeBow’s worries about “millions of unemployed people scared and pissed off in a country awash in guns”.

Midway through this tirade is a section where a long list of everything that’s worrisome is belched in an extraordinary summation.  It made me ill but I wanted to have a copy of the list because it felt so complete.  I have to say that I don’t necessary see all of the connections made and agree with every position taken (i.e., the influence of Gordon Gecko).  That doesn’t matter.  He ended a jaw dropping end-of-the-world list with “Beyoncé made a country album”.  There is some funny in here to keep us from jumping off the bridge.

Fanatical Optimism looks inward as well.  That strengthens the show and gives us all a chance to consider our individual arcs in conjunction with the changes around us.  People born in the 1960s were the beneficiaries of social, political and cultural currents.  Their soil was planted hearing songs which said “a child is black / a child is white / together they grow to see the light”.  Today the Bible is used to “subjugate the threatening other”.

The material here is heavy stuff and points to the “rancid, reeking, sewage sludge we are all dealing with”.  Mr. LeBow references “all the stuff I’ve talked about and what I haven’t”.  What could possibly be missing?  He does attempt to end these proceedings on a happy note so that his show won’t be called depressing and “be banished from the cultural landscape”.

Is there a path forward to address the “impotent rage of a dying aristocracy?”  He asks “How much would we do to save the world?”  We are people who “lose our shit when we can’t get Wi-Fi” so the disheartening conclusion is “probably not much”.  This polemic is packed full of anger and told by a smiling Boomer/Gen X hybrid who wields a large smile and a heavy heart.

Joy Ride

A 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan with a “super high tech” six CD spinner is the setting for a family Joy Ride.  Meredith Brandt’s one woman show recounts personal stories using song parodies from tunes she heard over and over again.  Apparently the discs were “stuck” in the player so they were fully implanted in the brain.

The conceit is a winning one.  A sleepover in first grade results in a desire to come home.  “On My Own” from Les Misérables is rewritten as “Get Me Home”.  The tone is light and the memories recalled are warmly presented.

A Barbra Streisand compilation Essential Babs provides the lyrical high point in this show.  “Don’t Rain On My Parade is coopted while recounting her father’s driving.  “Dad hits the gas vroom” made me laugh but the whole song is clever.  Joy Ride is pleasant enough because the idea is soundly developed.  Adding in a Bonus Track was inspired.  Some funnier lyrics in all the song parodies would sharpen and enhance the joy in this sweetly concocted ride.

The New York City Fringe concluded its run on April 21, 2024.  This blog reviewed fourteen of the nearly four dozen works staged.

www.frigid.nyc/festivals

New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination.  In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.

Dad Girl

Emily Walsh is a straight woman.  Watching Harrison Ford in Air Force One confirmed that.  She does, however, own enough hammers to “have a favorite one”.  This self-proclaimed Dad Girl embraces her womanhood but acknowledges the need to dress like the dad.

This stand up comic monologue covers a good deal of ground.  Gender labels provide laughs.  Toddler girls play with dolls and change their diapers “while still wearing diapers”.  Ms. Walsh notes that she not a lesbian but admits “I know I would be a good one”.  The beginning of this show firmly establishes her Dad Girl persona.

We then learn about her sweetheart of a nerdy husband.  A question is posed.  “How did this happy little puppy find this sea witch?”  She describes her marriage as one to Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  He “goes walking through the town smiling” and “I walk behind him as one of the townspeople”.  The vivid imagery created in this storytelling is very entertaining.

Advancing age brings up the kid conundrum.  To have or have not.  She’s been a “vigilant goalie” for decades.  Now she wonders why “I’m supposed to give shooting tips.”  There is quite a bit of lighthearted fare in her breezy delivery before things get deeper, a little darker and more serious.

That’s the reaction from the audience anyway.  Her relationship to her deceased Dad takes center stage.  Ms. Walsh has an edgy sense of humor but her jokes about death created some startled silences from the audience which she pointed out a few times.  Her surprising sense of humor (which not everyone will embrace) is clearly an asset.  Dad Girl is an interesting, fun, real character in comedic development.  Plunging unapologetically into the depths, however uncomfortable for some, is a jolting breath of fresh air.

Good jokes are numerous throughout.  She covers her fashion sense, bad boyfriends, perfect husband Danny, Vietnam Vet father and her IUD.  Will she ever have a child?  That would be another chapter in this character’s arc worth a listen.  In the meantime if it gets quiet “you can hear my uterus singing “Closing Time”.

 

A Little Bit Pregnant

If Dad Girl isn’t sure whether or not she wants a baby, Tasha finds herself pregnant at the start of the four character study A Little Bit Pregnant.  “Guess what?  I’m not dying” she informs her boyfriend as a way of easing into her announcement.  The surprise pregnancy clichés appear early and this show begins a bit stale.

Another young couple lives in the building and they desperately want a child.  They cannot get pregnant and are considering other options but their situation truly stings.  The tension which then develops gives the story more depth and conflict.  “If I were you I would be on cloud nine”.  A big revelation will ratchet up the wildly different dynamics between these two couples.

Kate Lavut’s short play ponders the question of whether two people in an imperfect relationship should take the plunge into parenthood.  There is a good scene between the newly pregnant Tasha and her male friend whose wife is thus far unlucky.  Both of their significant others are fuming with circumstances that are not necessarily under their control.  This quiet counseling moment between two friends provides some needed perspective and helps us sympathize with an age old dilemma.

Brokeneck Girls: The Murder Ballad Musical

In a western town located somewhere in America, a mayor’s wife tiptoes into a public tavern.  She’s annoyed today because her husband wanted her to perform her “womanly duties”.  In this case that means washing the dishes.  Harmless man bashing kicks off the female empowerment wild west kitchen sink casserole entitled Brokeneck Girls: The Murder Ballad Musical.

A trio (violin, guitar, banjo) will play tunes throughout this semi-plotted excavation of the evils men do.  A young girl named Polly went missing.  A wolf attack is blamed.  The song suggests otherwise.  “Into the grave Polly must go” then “debt to the devil, Willie must pay”.  Accountability is a theme well-developed in this show.

The town’s female Sheriff arrives and informs the ladies in the tavern that no one can leave until the coast is clear.  Train robber Railroad Bill is in town and up to no good.  “Does this mean we can’t go to the hanging tonight?”  Willie was apprehended.  Sadly these whisky drinkers will miss the fun for their own safety.

There are other murders to consider in this “murder ballad musical”.  Some may even involve those inside this tavern.  A talking bird is an unfortunate eyewitness and needs to go back in their cage so secrets will not gush forth.  A song laments “just wanted a kiss from Henry Lee / little bird what did you see / don’t tell a tale on me”.  A disturbingly violent episode is shared but the “violin softened it”.  Little snippets of humor do appear in this show which is aggressively all over the place.  The racism subplot, for example, is an extraneous add on.

Revenge is a dish best served folksy.  The trio asks “kill or be killed” and “which one will it be?”  There is a hard but welcome turn from folksy to MAGA level rage.  Crimes against women are not something to forgive.  The barkeep confesses “sometimes I like to do things that make men die”.  By that she means kill themselves or each other.

The balance between tongue-in-cheek humor and bloody dark vengeance flips back and forth.  “Let’s see if we can name all the girls that have been murdered since Christmas” precedes a call to “shove men off cliffs”.  A harder commitment to blinding rage and brutal retaliation could make Brokeneck Girls a very memorable feminist rant.

Toe tapping along with the trio in between frequent songs diminishes their clearly articulated fury.  “Kill all of them that seem dangerous” and “tiny killings on the side are fine” are unapologetically sharp hot-tempered mantras.  The final song drives the point home.  “There’s no such thing as justice / that’s why we sing this song”.

The New York City Fringe runs through April 21, 2024 at three locations: The Wild Project, 14Y Theater and UNDER St. Mark’s.  Most shows are also livestreamed.

www.frigid.nyc/festivals

New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination.  In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.

Miami Madness

My first and last experience in the fabled city of Miami involved my hotel room being robbed and my wallet pickpocketed.  When I went to board a plane and explain to the TSA agent why I had no identification he said, “that’s Miami”.  Did I need to go back and immerse myself once again in Miami Madness?  Thanks to writer and performer Dennis Rodwin the answer is a resounding yes.

His story begins over a year ago.  Mr. Rodwin is asked to write a musical about the history of Miami.  This show will take place on a boat.  What follows is a one man monologue jam packed with jokes, historical tidbits, danger, sexy conquistadores, a lesson in first class upgrades and offensive Native American costume design.

We learn about a funny religion called “commercial theater producers”.  They believe they can make money.  Our host has spent a career in this world and wouldn’t mind making a few bucks.  He is approached by a deal making, probably shady foreign accented wheeler and dealer.  He has some bizarre ideas for this show (which would be both amusing and revolting to see).

This grand adventure begins on a plane flight to Miami.  Should he take this gig?  Is Oleg on the up and up?  A desire to contribute something to the theatrical community is a driving force.  His producer wants to create the “most successful musical ever made” in a very short timeframe.  Costumes are made before there is a script.

Side adventures take place in a car, in the ocean and at hotels.  Every diversion is entertaining.  The show is one hour long.  An impressively dense story feels whimsical and moves along swiftly.  The twists and turns never fail to surprise and captivate.  Little side trips are funny and silly scary.  Has Mr. Rodwin embellished (or fabricated) some or all of this story?  If so, his madness is our gain.

Research is obviously required to write a musical about sunny Miami Beach where there’s “always a view, never a Jew”.  The rampant antisemitism prevalent during the development of this area provides commentary on our country’s racial injustices without ever launching into preachiness.  The litany of examples cited led me to learn more from Google.

The large Cuban population is also covered.  I did not know that Desi Arnaz from television’s landmark series I Love Lucy is credited with introducing the conga line to the United States.  That brief description is vividly memorable.  The storytelling here is meticulously organized and confidently told.  The journey is endlessly fascinating and equally idiotic, an ideal combination.

Quite a few confessions are made.  Mr. Rodwin likes Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant chain.  Apparently it is surprisingly good.  Two weeks ago I listened to Colin Jost’s memoir.  In it, he also exclaims the joys of this establishment.  I’m going to give in and grab a cheeseburger in paradise.  Hopefully I will savor its juicy delights as much as I did with Miami Madness.

Stroke of Genius

Dr. Walter Winkworth-Perez is academia’s foremost authority on Pantomime Masturbation theory and practicum.  Puns like that appear non-stop during this lecture on such theory throughout performing arts history.  Stroke of Genius is a good natured lightly raunchy trip spanning imagery from 3,000 year old pottery shards featuring large penises to 1920’s silent film star Ira K. Goldsmith, aka “The Spankin’ Shyster”.

The professor tells us that his field of study is admittedly eccentric.  We are told that we are allowed to laugh.  He banters with his students in a fill in the blanks section.  Riffs include ridiculous asides (“hand to gland combat”) and more aggressively vulgar ones (“making stomach pancakes”).

Through the ages this lecture travels.  Shakespeare parodies include “Much A Goo About Nothing.”  This comic idea is relentless in its focus.  Unfortunately the jokes proffered do not garner the expected laughs so the silences are awkward.

Numerous well-made film clips feature phallic excess from famous films of yesteryear.  Frankenstein is an example using “monster-bation tropes”.  In the shipboard clip Friggin’ the Riggin’ our seaman is “quite the jolly Roger”.  DW Griffith and Jules Verne get a rewrite as well.  Charlie Chaplin is an obvious influence.  He played The Great Dictator after all.

Stroke of Genius is conceptually a great idea for a farcical sex comedy about a taboo topic not normally given an uninterrupted hour of analysis.  Shane Mayforth plays our droll professor and writer Vulva Va-Voom (also in this festival’s TransMasculine Cabaret) pulls dual duty as writer and film star.  Both are game clowns, serious and stupid.

Comedy is, to put it bluntly, hard.  The material in this show is underpumped so the expected climaxes of hilarity are muted.  I do think this show could be coaxed into becoming a playful bit of burlesque-y bar stage fun.  Maybe as part of a drag show. An inebriated audience craving potty humor might be the target demographic.

Whatever the future holds (get it?) there will be women in the audience.  Presumably masturbation is more universal?  Perhaps a nod to the ladies is advisable.  Movie idea:  Inside Daisy’s Clover.  The gem of an idea has been sown.  The reaping of endless laughter will require some more tilling.

The New York City Fringe runs through April 21, 2024 at three locations: The Wild Project, 14Y Theater and UNDER St. Mark’s.  Most shows are also livestreamed.

www.frigid.nyc/festivals

New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination.  In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.

In Harmony

The second song in this thoughtfully constructed musical entertainment features “The Beanstalk” from Renascence, one of my favorite musicals over the last decade.  In Harmony uses songs selected from both theater and popular music to vocalize the foibles and fables, the journeys and side tracks, the hits and misses one experiences during the maturation process into adulthood.

A young man sitting on the floor opens a book then sings “when I grow up I will be smart enough to answer all the questions that you need to know the answers to before you’re grown up”.  This gorgeous Matilda tune paves the way for the exploration that follows.  A dozen and a half winning performers ranging in age from 20’s to early 30’s meditate on life’s journeys using an assortment of thematically linked introspective lyrics.

Variety mirrors the diverse individuals represented on stage.  Comedic turns and ballads.  Solos, duos, trios and more.  “Make up your mind to explore yourself” is the plea (Next to Normal).  About twenty selections make up this show and there are no lulls whatsoever.  The performance joy exhibited by this cast is infectious.

Youthful missteps (“Why do we play with fire?”) and serious reflections (“I’m getting older too”) nicely sit side by side with vivid storytelling numbers such as “Changing My Major” from Fun Home, one of In Harmony’s high points.  Composers who have metaphorically spoken to this creative team are celebrated here but also employed to show others, who are not yet as self-assured, that there truly is a way forward.

Microphone issues marred the performance I saw.  Another one of life’s punches live and unplanned.  How these performers handled the unfortunate technology issues added to the overall effect.  Addressing the onstage drama head on during “I’ve Got Life” from Hair resulted in a hilarious delivery of the line “and bad times too”.

This show ends simply and perfectly with the young man once again sitting on the floor.  Humans are never truly finished.  There is always more to learn.  Life can be compared to ascending the giant beanstalk on a glorious adventure to meet the Giant.  Even better to sing about the wandering journeys each of us takes in our own way.  “La, la, la, la, la, la, la… what a climb!”

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/renascence

 

Walt Kelly’s Song of the Pogo

The long running (1948-1975) syndicated cartoon strip Pogo featured an opossum, the title character.  It incorporated social and political satire.  Walt Kelly’s Songs of the Pogo was an illustrated collection of his original songs.  I must have missed that piece of info during this show so I was just confused.

This musical revue “suitable for the whole family” is a mash up of these songs interspersed with Kelly’s personal memoirs and a magazine interview with the comic book creator Gil Kane.  Frank Farrell and Ben Masterton adapted these sources and placed the action at radio station WOGPI in 1969.  The radio setting idea provides a nice framework for this material.

I remember enjoying Pogo as a kid and I clearly recalled “I have met the enemy and he is us” when the line was spoken.  That, however, was a long time ago.  The musings of the interview and the silly song presentations were difficult to connect with.  The show feels like inside baseball.  If you know the material perhaps you will smile with recognition.  I cannot fathom what a newbie to the world of Pogo would think.

Some jokes are funny (both the carpenter dog and the short girl).  The cast of six works diligently to yuck it up.  Danny Crawford was quite good developing a persona for Mr. Kelly.  He ably carries it through regardless if we know what he is talking and singing about or why.  Greg Horton was an inspired Larry King-like radio interviewer.

Scattered within this hodgepodge are some interesting nuggets like “a cartoonist should be angry about the times he lives in”.  Those moments speed by and it’s back to the Okefenokee Swamp.  We hear that this cartoonist’s work is the best darn work being done out there.  Super fans created this homage.  Novices need a lot more focus to be able to engage and comprehend the obvious passion behind the creation of this work.

The most well-known ditty (thank you Google) in Walt Kelly’s published song collection is “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie”.  This number is performed early on.  Each year at Christmas time, it was traditional for the strip to publish at least the first stanza (fun fact).  The purposefully ridiculous last line is “boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo”.  This hullabaloo wants us to be excited about Mr. Kelly but it’s hard to understand what the fuss is all about.

The New York City Fringe runs through April 21, 2024 at three locations: The Wild Project, 14Y Theater and UNDER St. Mark’s.  Most shows are also livestreamed.

www.frigid.nyc/festivals

New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination.  In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.

The Fountain

Two men walk up to The Fountain.  William is wearing a t-shirt proudly proclaiming Miss Fabulous.  Diego dons a shield with a sword at his side.  Cosplay?  No.  These men are from two different eras, the present and the reign of King Phillip in the 16th century.  One sings about bottles of beer on the wall to pass the time.  His travel companion would rather hear stories.

The two banter about this and that.  William (Jordan Grzybowski) references Hot Pockets and other arcane details that are mysteries to Diego (Hugo Salazar, Jr.).  He will hear about electricity and the consumers of that ubiquitous frozen sandwich (“the young, poor and drug-addled”).  The pair are wandering inside a labyrinth with no clear idea how to get out.

Standing atop the fountain is a female Grecian stone statue (Larissa McCoy).  There are coins and other treasures in the water.  The statue speaks “offer your tribute”.  It has to be something of value to the person giving the offertory.  Wisecracking William seizes the opportunity to wish for material things.  What about exit instructions for the labyrinth?  Nah, everlasting health and wealth is more desirable.

When the statue does not grant any additional wishes William calls her a “water bitch” prior to his moving on.  Diego enters into a long conversation with the statue and secrets will reveal themselves.  Other people are in the labyrinth.  Is William still inside?  In answer the statue will channel his flamboyant physicality along with William’s voiceover.

Religion and truth are the themes explored in this thoughtful ode to the power of storytelling.  Diego has faith and kills heathens for the king.  “If you have faith then it is real?” is a question posed.  Books tell us stories and we have favorites which stay with us.  Are one of the similar, yet different gods in various books real or is the labyrinth which entraps all of humankind the inescapable trap?

My interpretation of this very interesting piece may be different than intended but this short, meaningful play definitely offers much to ponder.  All three actors are engaging throughout, notable Mr. Salazar’s Diego which is the richest character written and developed.  While I enjoyed the statue pantomiming William along with his voiceover, it might even be more fun letting her do the impersonation with vocals as well.

Amidst the spiritual ideas flowing through this “good and dark magic” are some truly funny moments.  Diego asks the statue who she is.  The reply kills.  She cites many variations including Lady of the Fountain and Enchantress.  Then the brilliant deadpan follows.  “Most recently, water bitch”.  Tony Patryn wrote and directed The Fountain which is making its debut at this festival.

 

TransMasculine Cabaret

Backstage and onstage are the two locations which are inhabited by Vulva Va-Voom, a trans cabaret performer.  Quite a few warnings are announced up front.  TransMasculine Cabaret will be “a total fucking bummer of a one man solo” and a “social bummer piece”.  Tongue-in-cheek meets self-deprecating safety shield.

Soon thereafter the Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” will be rewritten as “we cannot warn for triggers”.  Those triggers include strap-ons, jokes about sperm, ADHD and cuss words.  The chorus:  “I have tons of trauma and it’s in this drama”.  Wearing such warned about strap-on, Mx. Va-Voom will assault the audience swinging her plastic weapon.  Their butthole is like Waffle House, “only closed in case of emergencies”.  There is a lot of blue humor and more than a few dildos.

A heckler (voiceover) shouts that he is “sick of this nonbinary garbage”.  The show transitions from smutty cabaret to an exploration of Vulva’s incarnation as a performer and person inhabiting a gender which does not conform to traditional binary beliefs.  This dissection will cover a wide swath of influences which speak to the difficulties and hurts experienced during a lifetime of accusations they have mental illness.

Vulva notes that the SNL character “It’s Pat” was the first one they encountered in mainstream media.  Of course Pat was viewed as repulsive but at least there was representation.  Their androgyny was “hideous” and “pitiable”.  The script dives deep but generally pulls out to offer more clowning like the voiceover ad which advises “ask your doctor if being put in a hospital by bigots is good for your health”.

A meaningful story about a church intervention follows but the show frequently does not let us, or the performer, take a breath.  The seriousness underneath the facade is too quickly buried.  It is easy to understand how humor is evoked to deal with societal slights.  In this case, the joke list and sight gags are crammed to overfill.

A little editing here and there might help focus a heartfelt storyline clearly aching to be heard.  I might nix the heavy metal German housemates (also voiceovers) and slow down the serious parts.  Letting the audience further in can only be good for all of us rather than simply classifying the show as a “bummer”.

 

Miss. Adventure

A multi-media musical comedy choose your own adventure is the promise.  Early on the view is a bit hazy.  “I don’t know if this is a show or just masturbation”.  What follows is certainly at least a dream fever.  Forty million cultural reference will be tossed about in under an hour.  Maybe not that many but a ton of them.

Eating ice cream in bed leads to the appearance of Cherry Garcia who offers stoned advice.  Channeling Frodo’s quest, our heroine is told to bring the magical NuvaRing back to its source.  This stage musical is accompanied by a fairly elaborate film.  That helps keep the proceedings on track as our sole performer leaves the stage quite frequently.

Beauty and the Beast enters the fray in both song and in the on screen persona of Sergey.  Men are dogs is presumably the rant since he plays fetch with her tampon.  The man in the moon sees all the “freaky stuff”.  The eaten shoe line escaped me.

A talking mail box (“Mail Time!!”) reminded me of Pee Wee’s Playhouse.  Why is it named that?  “If they called it a female box, (the mail) would never come”.  Funny.  So many zany things are tried which is admirable but I ultimately found it very hard to understand what this show was trying to do.  A choose your adventure motif was the promise but it was not really realized in any meaningful way.

Miss. Adventure also has a tagline “Hop on the Magic Mushroom Bus”.  There will be a bus ride with a version of the Frizz to a place where the humor is blue and the stay is prolonged.  Rachel Pallante, our host on this adventure, is talented and can hold a stage (when not backstage).  It’s the adventure that’s a bit of a missed opportunity.

The New York City Fringe runs through April 21, 2024 at three locations: The Wild Project, 14Y Theater and UNDER St. Mark’s.  Most shows are also livestreaming.

www.frigid.nyc/festivals

ADRIFT:  A Medieval Wayward Folly

“It’s getting late.  I best go prepare your leeches.”  Lines like these inform the loosely linked skits of ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly.  Fans of both the Hieronymus Bosch triptych The Garden of Earthy Delights and Monty Python antics will find much to amuse themselves in this diverting entertainment.

The show begins with a focus on a small section of Bosch’s phantasmagorical painting.  The Ship of Fools is denoted by a simple flag.  The wayward souls are adrift at sea.  Body movements suggest wind and waves.  A song portends “this is the way the world ends”.  The mysteries and general cluelessness of the time period are gently skewered.  The illiterate ask “oh great diviner what do we do now?”

Our guides on this journey are hapless medieval peasants working hard to survive day-to-day but also put on a show.  The audience could be seen as the locals being visited by these traveling tellers of tall tales.  Music, dance, puppetry, simple sets and costumes combine to create a stylistic homage to the “Dark Ages”.  Feathery touches of humor inform the tone.

A cast member greets the arrivals upon entering the theater.  A request is made.  Write down a question for the oracle.  I did and so did many others.  They result in a very fun sideshow incorporated into the tomfoolery.  One person hilariously asked “what is a printer doing when it is doing private maintenance?”  Nothing in this piece is too serious nor is there a linear storyline.

Adrift is defined as floating without being either moored or steered.  That is a fair summation of the work created by the Happenstance Theater ensemble.  Low budget meets creatively clever in this series of vignettes meant to evoke SNL circa 1224.  The audience is enjoined to revel in its life’s wayward follies.

Amazements directed to the uneducated masses of the day are on the menu here.  There will be a magic show and a real demon.  The troupe will obsess on death and the afterlife.  Medical quackery of the day will also take a seat so we can giggle at old school lobotomy techniques.

Does the show have a purpose?  There is a light reference to climate change as reflected by the floating ship surrounded by water, its fools and a focus on end days.  The real fun here is to sit back, transform yourself into a medieval peasant and let this very silly and goofily imaginative low budget conceptual thousand year old pageant infiltrate your soul like the plague.  Leeches, like botox, are optional.

The run of ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly has ended in New York.  The show will be performed at the Baltimore Theatre Project from February 22 though March 3, 2024.

www.happenstancetheater.com

In New York City during the holiday season there are ample opportunities to check out some holiday themed entertainment.  Two of them this year from my seat.  Both have a heavy dose of ho-ho-ho.

Chloe Saves Christmas

Popping into the Off-Off Broadway arts incubator The Tank is a chance to take a sleigh ride with up and coming creative minds.  When the snow is powdery there are usually thrills galore.  “If you like John Waters, you’ll love Chloe Saves Christmas” promised the website.  I like John Waters so off off to the winter wonderland I go.

A warning was posted.  This show would contain “over-the-top Christmas antics, yuletide fuckery, tentacles, snow, questionable morals and bizarre sexual content”.  The posting did not lie.  The opening minutes features an annoyed Chloe musing about lost opportunities.  “I could be tickly my twat and watching Love Actually“.  When the plot to save Christmas gets in gear, she exclaims “we’re saving Christmas; I can feel it in my twat”.

The too long show is filled with potty humor and silly clowning.  Some of it is very funny.  Some of it is very repetitious.  You see, Chloe is a young IHOP waitress who is Instagram famous for her fart videos.  She is legendary for her gaseous excess.  That talent plus an ability to produce other noxious air releases will be put to use in order to save Christmas.  She teams up with a guy (straight but accused as gay) and a gal (lesbian but no waffling there) to conquer the Octopus and its inappropriate tentacles.

Chloe Saves Christmas has a promising skit backbone that feels clever amidst the self-admittedly “over-the-top” crude tomfoolery.  An enjoyable Shakespearesque monologue garners laughs as do some truly hilarious costume changes as cast members attempt to keep up with the ever swirling onstage antics.  This ho show was meant to offend and it did.  Even Mary is a target since she is a “sick person and a bad actress”.

Chloe Saves Christmas concluded performances at the Tank on December 17, 2023.  The Tank is a non-profit producer presenting over 1,000 performances annually across many disciplines.

www.thetanknyc.org

Nutcracker Rouge

College friends were holiday weekend gathering in New York for the second year in a row.  Saturday night was dinner at the newly reopened Cantina Cubano in the East Village (and yes, delicious as always).  Friday nights are reserved for those of us interested in exploring theatrical offerings which lend themselves to group fun.  Last year we sailed aboard the megahit Titanique, still running despite the iceberg danger.  Nutcracker Rouge was this year’s choice.

In their opulent den of Moulin Rouge inspired debauchery, Company XIV seems to have an annual smash hit with this wildly entertaining musical extravaganza.  I’ve been to this Bushwick locale and reviewed a number of their shows previously.  This time I was a paying customer and a very happy one at that.

The show is essentially the same as in previous years but certain performers have changed so the specifics differ.  What you can expect:  excellent sugar plum choreography executed precisely, sexy costumes, Cirque-like athletic feats, cocktails to savor and a loosely conceived plot to hold all the merriment and visual splendor together.  Storm Marrero is the big voiced diva who rules this venue (including hilariously managing the drunken Karen who simply could not find her seat after intermission).

This Nutcracker is for those seeking an evening of sparkling Louis the XIV period excess complete with wigs and a dash of sugar plum fairies.  My review from 2019 happily still rings true.

Nutcracker Rouge is running through January 28, 2024 along with another show, Cocktail Magique, a “variety show of intoxicating illusions” which has performances scheduled through August 2024.

www.companyxiv.com

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/nutcrackerrouge2019

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/titanique

www.cantinacubananyc.com

2023 Queerly Festival (Part 4)

Founded in 2014, Queerly is FRIGID New York’s annual celebration of LGBTQA+ artists.  Queerly strives for diversity on and off stage, seeking out queer teams and artists of all kinds as well as a wide range of shows and performances.  In light of the barrage of anti-trans legislation across the country, they are prioritizing work by or featuring trans artists as well as work that speaks to queer resilience past, present, and future.

Anna May Wong: Persona

A time travel back a century ago finds a Chinese family operating a laundromat in 1924.  Anna May Wong’s father owns this business.  She asks pointedly, “What other business besides restaurants are Chinese allowed to have?”  This woman will later become the first Chinese American movie star in Hollywood.

Anna always dreamed of becoming an actress.  When The Good Earth was being cast in 1934 the part went to Luise Rainer (in yellowface) who spoke “better chop suey English” and had a “better body type”.  In order to work Ms. Wong was forced to accept Dragon Lady and Lotus Blossom (concubine) roles.  Exhausted from demeaning parts she flees to Europe and hangs out with Marlene Dietrich, Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker.

Her father equated acting with prostitution.  Her race limited her opportunities but also came with insults.  A Producer notes “I suppose you can’t see well due to the shape of your eyes”.  A visit to China unearths similar backlash as the people were not happy with her chosen roles and the costumes she wore.

Anna Mae Wong: Persona was staged as a developmental reading.  There is much material covered.  In addition to racism, there are sapphic dalliances. The work could be enhanced by solidifying the period language.  Calling someone “the bee’s knees” is incongruous with “what happens in Berlin, stays in Berlin”.

The subject matter, however, insightfully portrays rampant systemic racism.  Her great successes such as Shanghai Express are reminiscent of another marginalized actress of the period, Hattie McDaniel, who took maid’s roles in order to work (and people looked down at her as well).  Fulfilling one’s dreams is the grand motif here and the ending nicely foreshadows Ms. Wong’s contribution to future generations.

Paper Kraine

Since 2016 this monthly variety show has been performed to showcase works in development curated around a theme related to an nonprofit organization.  For the Queerly Festival, all ticket sales and a passed hat are directed to the Ali Forney Center which offers LGBTQ+ youth shelter and services.  This show’s tone is a jubilant “ok to try new things” and “ok to fail” environment.  Halleloo!

The first act was a dance piece entitled “Don’t Panic” which considered how one starts a new sapphic relationship.  Mirror image movements eventually morph into playful couplings.

“Rights in Education” was an interesting solo piece by Floridian who has a complicated relationship with his anti-gay home state politics.  Some history was proffered including the tale of a gay nightclub in 1937 separately raided by the KKK and police.  A true story of a 1959 M/M wedding was approved by the Florida legislature as “nothing violates state law”.

A hilariously conceived and executed clown act followed.  “What are you?” bellows the loud deep voice toward the performer onstage.  You cannot be both an angel and a clown.  This evolves into a silly yet pitch perfect and unique commentary on gender norms.  The angel is told to do it more “precious”.  The voice advises “if you can’t pick one gender, I mean performance, everyone will think you’re weird”.

The next act was “inspired by short attention spans”.  Nicole Kidman welcomes us to her TikTok about Scientology.  She is not a fan.  Quick scene change and he’s playing with a Snow White doll.  A true crime television segment gleefully highlights a grisly murder.  We meet an old friend (Jesus) and then a carrot is eaten.  These frantic vignettes are creative lunacy which actually hold together through a story arc of sorts.

All We Know of Love and Fire was a sampling of songs from a new musical in development  Three young women open with their message “love is all there is”.  Love forlorn is the vibe of this piece with some nice harmonies sprinkled throughout.  A nod to Stephen Sondheim is always welcome too.

The Luddite was an interactive AI play between an onstage actor and a character on a phone.  A promising premise needs a little plot tightening.  However, the impact of social media is sharply skewered.  “Live public disclosure is the closest thing to a trial these days”.

The final act was a short burlesque strip tease by a queer Palestinian person who owns “two identities experiencing erasure”.  As Bridget Everitt sings “and then they bounce, bounce, bounce”.  If this is a representative sampling of the work assembled each month then Paper Kraine is a diversion worth exploring.

The 9th Annual Queerly Festival is running downtown at the Kraine Theater from June 15 though July 3, 2023.  Paper Kraine is also a monthly curated event at this venue

www.frigid.nyc/festivals/queerly

www.aliforneycenter.org

2023 Queerly Festival (Part 3)

Founded in 2014, Queerly is FRIGID New York’s annual celebration of LGBTQA+ artists.  Queerly strives for diversity on and off stage, seeking out queer teams and artists of all kinds as well as a wide range of shows and performances.  In light of the barrage of anti-trans legislation across the country, they are prioritizing work by or featuring trans artists as well as work that speaks to queer resilience past, present, and future.

Funny Women of a Certain Age

Carol Montgomery is a veteran stand-up comedienne for forty years.  She noticed her bookings never contained two females in the same show.  She created a group to feature women comics over 50 years old.  Showtime specials followed.  Ms. Montgomery curated this selection for the festival and their camaraderie is evident.  They have been in residency at the Kraine Theater for six years.

Of course Showtime wanted the women to be younger.  She opens the show with their history followed by some targeted humor.  When COVID subsided Target stocked prairie dresses.  They are “a potato sack with ruffles and a bow”.  She then asks, “How much weight do they think we gained during the pandemic?”  Then the punch line delivers.  “Just because we ate bread doesn’t mean we want to look like Laura Ingalls”.  As it happens Target was ahead of its time.  They knew Roe v. Wade would be overturned.

Three additional comics performed on this show.  One was a recovering alcoholic who prefers the term “inactive lush”.  Another laments how easily we offend each other.  “Can we all agree that skim milk is not milk?” she asks.  It’s “just white water”.  Something we all can surely agree on.

Does God exist?  Apparently the answer is yes.  He sent the pandemic so she did not have to holiday with her argumentative family.  In the final set, a dreaded trip to the dentist required some self-directed advice.  “If you behave yourself, I’ll take you to the liquor store”.

Like all comedy shows there are highs and lows, blue humor and witty pokes at our society.  You can even learn a few things.  “Serial killing is a hobby”.  “Assassin is a career”.

 

walkOver

Elena Freck’s probing and well-performed play considers life after “you’ve completed the first line of your obituary”.  Martin was a teenage gymnastics phenom.  He was also openly trans.  A wrist injury ended his career and now he is broke.  There are no sponsorships for trans athletes.  What’s the next step?

A close friend and ex-gymnast carved out a second career as a sports writer.  En is also trans.  All Martin wants is his bong and the lighter.  En offers sympathy and advice.  He reluctantly goes back to his hometown.  At a bar he meets Jenna who stayed local and is now a teacher.  A small room in her apartment becomes his new world.

While the main character may be trans, the themes are universal.  What does one do when the lifelong dream is no longer a reality at 25 years old?  The play effectively uses two friends as positively influencing guideposts to ensure Martin does not travel down a quite possible destructive path.

The plot continues its believable trajectory and a missed bus becomes a reckoning moment as he makes phone calls.  One is to his mother.  “Was she like a Dance Mom or Allison Janney in I, Tonya” is a vividly asked question.  A flashback to the injury is nicely staged with crisp body movements recognizable to anyone who watches the sport.  An impressively executed scene on a very small stage.

Kyr Siegel (Martin), Miller Koppang (En) and Linda Shewokis (Jenna) are all very good inhabiting these characters.  On stage physicality is notably fine throughout.  There is a scene near the end when En returns.  The tension created is earned by what preceded before.  Jake Tolentino’s direction was additive to experiencing this play with extra nods to the lighting choices.  walkOver is an excellent entry into this festival both in terms of content and quality.

The 9th Annual Queerly Festival is running downtown at the Kraine Theater from June 15 though July 3, 2023.  walkOver will be performed again on July 2nd both live and livestreamed.

www.frigid.nyc/festivals/queerly