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