Posted: 7/22/15 at 12:00am
I'm thinking of checking something out this year. Does anyone know someone involved with one of the projects this year? Any recommendations for what to see? The descriptions on the site right now are so vague. Also, feel free to post your reviews here if you do see something.
Posted: 7/22/15 at 12:11am
It starts later this year than usual. I think we should see more specifics in the next week or so. I saw that Michael Countryman is in a show called the report, but that's the only thing i have seen.
Posted: 7/22/15 at 11:11am
For Dorothy Parker fans - close friends of mine have written, directed and act in "The Portable Dorothy Parker" which has been playing all over the country for about a year now.
I highly recommend it!
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140528/PC2106/140529255
Updated On: 7/22/15 at 11:11 AM
Posted: 7/22/15 at 6:09pm
Of the descriptions I've read, I think Plath sounds the most promising.
Far From Canterbury is based on one of my least favorite Canterbury tales but anything fairytale-ish always appeals to me.
I'm never going to watch Dexter so I kind of like the idea of just watching DEX! A Killer Musical.
Beware the Chupacabra could be fun.
I saw The Portable Dorothy Parker while I was looking up shows, Jane2. Do you think I'd be able to understand it without knowing much about all the people it references or would I just be lost?
Posted: 7/22/15 at 6:59pm
I think if you know something about Parker that would be enough to enjoy her with all her famous catty one liners! It would, however, be even better if you were familiar with her lifestyle.
Posted: 8/22/15 at 7:45pm
So! I've seen a number of shows so far. A few solid ones, one more than solid, one very much less than solid. I haven't hit a WOW one yet, but word is I might tomorrow night when I see Schooled
Straight Faced Lies
Solid dysfunctional family dramedy with strong acting. A little overwrought in places, but has a lot of really good honest moments.
I Want To Kill Lena Dunham
This was something like two plays smashed together. Half of it is rather interesting monologue-type commentary on the failures of shortcomings of white feminism, which is rather conveniently summarized in Lena Dunham. It had a lot of definitely accurate critique, but then it was also a play about this woman's own artistic struggle, and the two halves were never reconciled to feel like a cohesive whole. A bit bizarre.
Sousepaw
A good, lean drama with top-notch acting. The female lead was especially raw, and at only one hour, it's a good choice to spend your time.
Little One
Easily the best of the group I've seen so far. A bit overdone in places, but there's a thread of tension that manages to permeate the entire thing, and I kept having this feeling of anticipatory dread as this history unfolded and wondering what terrible things were at the core of what happened.
Under
I -- left at intermission. For the first act, I found all but a select few of the actors to be pretty bad, much of the dialogue to be extremely stilted, and the subject matter to be handled indelicately. The one thing that almost got me to stay was the number right before intermission, which was painfully honest and the one remarkable moment I saw.
Creative License
A fun enough show. They've got some good actors in here, although their male lead is surprisingly dull in comparison to most of the other performers. The music and lyrics in this are sometimes surprisingly good, and there's one song in particular that I was really impressed at the sort of poetic simplicity of it that proved really lovely.
On my docket:
The Mad Scientist's Guide to Romance, Robots and Soul-Crushing Loneliness
Schooled
Love is Like Mud
Night of the Living
Reading Between the Lines
Stockholm Savings
Updated On: 8/23/15 at 07:45 PM
Posted: 8/22/15 at 8:06pm
Just proud to say that my friend's show, The Portable Dorothy Parker, was called one of the top 28 shows in the Fringe to see, and actually the run sold out, with the exception of a few tickets!
Posted: 8/23/15 at 10:22pm
Two more tonight!
The Mad Scientist's Guide to Romance, Robots and Soul-Crushing Loneliness
I gotta admit, I loved this. I'm very much the target demo for this crowd -- the less than common combination of musical theatre lover and sci-fi geek -- so take what you will from that. But overall, I found it was clever, sweet, and well-written. There's a number or two that could use tightening, either in the writing or the direction (or maybe both), but it's got a lot of really good stuff. It's definitely a good fit at DROM, too, and it's only just over an hour.
Schooled
Very nice little drama here that's getting a good amount of buzz. It's got strong writing, strong performances, and strong direction, and it certainly kept me interested throughout. It didn't blow the roof or totally surprise me, but it definitely kept me engaged for an enjoyable ninety minutes.
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:01am
I was checking a day or two ago thinking about seeing Plath but now it's sold out. I bought a ticket for Far From Canterbury instead.
Still thinking about Crack in the Ceiling.
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:08am
I saw Stockholm Savings and thought it was merely okay. Decent performances and direction, but not a great update to Dog Day Afternoon. It tries to make a statement about race that is rather clumsy, and its treatment of the trans character doesn't get the modern-day update it needs.
Posted: 8/26/15 at 9:18am
I saw CRACK IN THE CEILING last night and was thoroughly charmed. It has humor, just the right amount of sentiment and a fine score. The three performers were quite good: Kristy Cates in great voice as a single mother, a hilarious and energetic Josh Grisetti in several wildly different roles as the handymen in her life, and Nicky Torchia as Cates's son, 11 going on 40. It's a fast, funny and enjoyable 80 minutes.
Posted: 8/27/15 at 12:46am
Far From Canterbury was REALLY good. There were a few parts that dragged a little, mainly the romantic songs because they just went on a little too long. I wonder what it would be like if you came to it without knowing the Wife of Bath's tale. I did so I thought I could predict what was going to happen and even though it surprised me I think it took some time getting where it needed to go. The characters took the long way going about their journeys. It was all tied to the plot but if, say, you were pressed to there's easily a bunch you could cut to tighten it up.
There wasn't anything I walked away humming but the score is pretty good. A lot of the lyrics are smart. The melodies aren't too complicated but at times I think they might have been a little beyond the singers that were cast. Of course there were some nice showing off moments so those songs stood out. I also liked the courtroom song about being a monster because it took the most clear influence from a nontraditional musical theatre sound.
I'd say the music is "clean" sounding. It's not sanitized in content or anything but it reminds me of contemporary musical theatre mixed with a classic sound. So more Disney and Jeanine Tesori on Shrek than say Jason Robert Brown or Sondheim. (I did get a strong Witch from Into the Woods vibe from one character.) I was impressed with the range of music though. It was a cohesive score that took influence from a lot of places. I was most impressed with how they twisted the original story without revising it to be a completely sanitized fairy tale. It was very smart. You think you see what's coming and that lulls you into missing the twist.
There were a few lines that were flubbed but on the whole this has renewed my faith in new work after the mess that was Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera. I hope they move forward with this. Even though it's set in England, there are enough anachronisms that I don't think it's strictly tied to a time or place. It's more allegory, more fairy tale. I'd love to see more diverse casting in the future.
Updated On: 8/27/15 at 12:46 AM
