Sh*t: An Unauthorized Musical Parody of It at Fringe

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Sh*t hits the fan when a shape-shifting evil disguised as a maniacal dancing clown feeds on the youth of Dairy, Maine. When a group of kids discover its true identity, they must destroy it, before it devours them all. From the creators and creative team of last year’s award-winning musical “ThanksKilling The Musical,” this promises to be just as absurd and equally tasteless.

 The play added back in an orgy among the kids that was left out of the movies made from Stephen King’s book “It.” The results were hilarious as the young boys reach climax and squirt silly string into the audience in an endless stream. A prime directive of the show is that it stretches and alters the reality set up by the author. Carrie kept making cameo appearances although she is from another of Stephen King‘s books. She looked magnificent in her crown and bloody dress. Gushing oozing splashing blood is a subtle metaphor for a woman coming of age.

Irreverent and often unexpected the songs added a comical bent to the show. The clown Pennywise had a large penis painted red on his white washed face. The show was a fun romp with singing dancing and plenty of silly string.

Sh*t: An Unauthorized Musical Parody of It is in the Orange Venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803. Tickets are $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe Show. 18 and up – Strong Language, Mature Themes, Violence.

Weekend Top 6 Fringe Picks

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Saturday May 26, 2018

1:30pm to 2:20pm $10 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. LUNA. Pink Venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803. Ana Cuellar, a Cirque du Soleil artist,  brings 8
internationally acclaimed dances to Fringe this year through her
creation of LUNA. Come and let LUNA’s emotional forces draw you in to
experience her creative spirit channeled through the movement of dance.
Featuring Cirque and top professional performers.

4:45pm to 5:45pm $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany. Gold Venue inside the Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 Mills Ave N, Orlando, FL 32803. Eleanor Ramrath Garner’s award-winning memoir of her youth, surviving
WWII as an American trapped in Nazi Berlin, adapted for the stage and
performed by her granddaughter, Ingrid. An AADW Top pick for this year’s Fringe.

5:00pm to 6pm $10 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. Pianos to the Death Game Show. Green Venue in the Orlando Rep, 1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. We invite you to the deadliest, rockin’ game show, where 3 musicians
play their way to survival, and the best part – the judges are you! The
LIVE studio audience! Join our Host and his sexy assistants on stage, as
you help choose the music, get in on the action, and even pick a demise
or two! All in this blood pumping spectator game, where YOU decide who
drops the beat, or just drops dead. Isn’t it time for you to be in
control?

Sunday May 27, 2018

Noon to 1:15pm $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. Nashville Hurricane. Silver Venue in to Orlando Rep 1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Chase Padgett returns with a classic solo show featuring characters,
stories, and killer guitar playing. 40 years ago a guitar prodigy rose
to infamy and then vanished. Now we can hear the real story about the
rise, demise, and resurrection of the legendary Nashville Hurricane from
the eyes of the manager, mother, mentor, and man himself.

2:30pm to 3:30pm $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. Jon Bennett: Fire in the Meth Lab. Blue Venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803.

Dear Brother,

How’s jail? I’ve written a show about you, is that OK? You’re in jail so you can’t really say no.

Love from your little brother,

Jon

4:45pm to 5:45pm $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. 13 Dead Dreams of “Eugene”. Pink Venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803.  X-Files meets The Twilight Zone… in the dark! Paul Strickland and Erika Kate MacDonald  team up in this creepy
flashlight and shadow play with songs.

A body was found and
placed on display in hopes of identification. That’s when the Dead
Dreams began. Experience the shared recurring nightmares that haunted
one sleepy Ohio town, and the stranger-than-fiction story of “Eugene.”

Van Gogh Find Yourself at the Orlando Fringe Festival

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Van Gogh Find Yourself can be found in the Gold Venue inside the Orlando Museum of Art (2416 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803.) A woman in line had said that she thought Van Gogh would be sketching everyone in the audience. I let her know that would likely not be the case. No artist works that fast. He sat on the stage sketching as the audience filtered into the theater. I sat in the front row to sketch him, and he immediately started to sketch me. He really does look like Van Gogh with the thick red beard and furrowed brow. He invited members of the audience to join him on stage, saying, “people kept a distance from me my whole life.”

He invited someone on stage to be sketches by him and the comedian Polly Esther, from Dammit Jim, I’m a comedian not a Doctor took the seat offered. He stood at the easel and sketched her. She pitched her show as she was being sketched but then he explained that silence while creating is alright. He started talking about his life as a minister in a coal mining town. When he saw the suffering around him, he gave up his possessions to live more like the people he was preaching to. His father intervened and told him to stop being so dramatic. Ultimately this was not to be his life’s work.

His brother Theo suggested Van Gogh learn to paint. This he picked up with an equal passion. Theo helped support Van Gogh’s painting obsession and ultimately he settled in the south of France. He had dreams of starting an artists colony and Gauguin took Theo’s several hundred dollar stipend to join Van Gogh painting in the south of France. The two artists had totally different views on art and were soon fighting.

Van Gogh said that many of his best paintings were done in the insane asylum. Starry Night was projected on the screen. He found peace away from people. The towns people tormented him. He dispelled the notion that he cut his own ear off saying Gauguin cut him with a saber. He did admit to giving the ear fragment to a prostitute. He also dispelled the notion that he committed suicide. He claimed he was shot by a boy he approached in the fields where he painted. He didn’t want the boy to be in trouble so he kept the incident to himself. After he died, a doctor took some of his best paintings. Theo died shortly after wards of a broken heart.

When the artist on stage announced his true name was Walter DeForest, the illusion was broken. Walter was born on the day Van Gogh died.  Surprisingly the original Star Trek doctors actual name is DeForest Kelly. I had  learned many alternate truths about one off my favorite artists. As an artist this was a fun show to watch and sketch. I give it 8 of 10 sunflowers.

Tickets are $12 plus a Fringe button needed to get into any show.

Remaining show dates are:

7:15 PM

2:30 PM

My Pal Bette at Fringe

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Tammy Kopko returns as Bette Davis, the chain-smoking, tough-talking, Hollywood DIVA and unlikely guardian angel and mentor to awkward 5 year-old Tommy Klein, (Rhyse Silvestro) in the this special anniversary production of the Fringe and NYC hit comedy by John Ryan.

Tommy, smothered by his needy mom, (Janine Klein) finds he needs more guidance as her grows up and he finds it in Bette Davis. Tammy’s performance as Bette is spot on, her every nuance is inspired by the ballsy disdain of this Hollywood DIVA. She is truly a force to be reckoned with. Her mission is to earn her wings guiding the young Tommy towards adulthood. Demonic puppets act as the young boy’s inner demons but they fall flat as guiding voices.

A date goes horribly wrong when an attention starved girl (Melanie Leon) throws herself at the young boy. Her performance is wide eyed, manic and over the top funny. As she freezes in mid kiss, Tommy gets up from the couch and turns to his diva for advice. She advises him to follow his inner voice and that doesn’t lead him to want to pursue women.

The young Tommy grows into a teen, (Clark Levi) ready for college. He ends up rooming with a misogynistic dude as a roommate and Bette earns her wings when the sensitive Tommy stands up for himself. As she says, she gets her wings any time a frat boy screams.

Tammy Kopko as Bette Davis was fabulous. Every moment she was on stage was pure gold. This was a fun romp and the few moments that fall short are easily forgiven for just one more moment of the DIVA’s attitude. Look no further for your next Fringe Crush.

Tickets are $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe show. The show is in the Gold venue inside the Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803.

Remaining show dates are:

8:45 PM 

10:15 PM 

5:00 PM

13 Dead Dreams of “Eugene” at the Fringe

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X-Files meets The Twilight Zone in the dark! Fringe veterans, Paul Strickland and Erika Kate MacDonald  team up in this creepy
flashlight and shadow play with original songs. “13 Dead Dreams of Eugene” is based on the true story of a body that was found in Sabina on June 6, 1929. The unidentified dead man was
50 to 80 years old was
found on the 3C highway
near the Borum Road. The only
identification that
could be found on him
was a slip of tablet
paper with the address
1118 Yale Ave.,
Cincinnati written on
it. The Cincinnati
police checked the
address and found it was
a vacant lot. The
closest man to this
address was a man named
Eugene Johnson and for
this reason the unknown
man was given the name
of “Eugene.” It became known as the Sabina Mummy. It
was placed on display in hopes of identification. That’s when the Dead
Dreams began. Experience the shared recurring nightmares that haunted
one sleepy Ohio town, and the stranger-than-fiction story of “Eugene.” No one ever came to claim the body and it wasn’t buried until 1964.

I made special arrangements with the performers to let them know I would sketch the show from the back row to avoid letting any member of the audience see that I was creating this sketch. Pam and I arrived winded because we had gone to the wrong venue and had to run across Lock Haven Park to try and get to Dead Dreams before the doors closed. A woman seated in front of us gave us a high five for our winded enthusiasm. Get sat down and the theater immediately went black.

A slow ghostly voice began talking about the experience of being dead. He recalled his wake, the people crying and learning about his family from fragments of conversations. The dead lack memories so they linger to find out what they can. Eugene was a black man who had been murdered. He was never identified, and his murderer was never found. His body was on display in the town of Sabina for decades, a macabre side show attraction. After the body went on display, people in the town began having recurring nightmares and these were written down for posterity. Town’s people didn’t like to recall those nightmares. Once written they were filed away to be archived and forgotten. Paul and Erika however kept asking about these memories and they were finally given access to the recorded nightmares found in a cardboard box. Those documents are the foundation around which they built the show.

Flashlights, rear projections and string silhouettes are used to recount the tales. Much of the time the room is pitch black with just the ghostly words to carry the tales. This show is Fringe at it’s best. Solid story telling wrapped in mysterious light and original song. Definitely a “must see show” at this year’s Fringe.

812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803. Tickets are $12 plus a $10 Fringe button needed to get into any Fringe Show.

10:45 PM 

7:15 PM 

5:30 PM

4:45 PM

Corsets and Cuties – Harlots at Fringe

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The opening number alone makes this show worth the price of admission.The entire cast danced on stage in lavish Victorian attire as if at a party for Marie Antoinette. I was upset that number was over so fast. I only had the time to catch the MC, Lady Jaimz. But the cast gyrated and dances suggestively and the Corsets and Cuties were in their true top form. This burlesque company combines humor with their routines in unique and unexpected ways. Barbie Rhinestone started her routine off with sock puppets, but this was no kids fringe show.

Nicki Jax has a Cat Woman like way of moving that is fun to attempt to draw. My favorite routine for the night was set to the song, This is Me, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Members of the cast wore t shirts that carried labels set by bullies. Nicki’s shirt had the unlikely title of UGLY. NERD, CUNT, BITCH, the words had little meaning as they sang their anthem. I had never heard the song before and I was moved. Now I need to see the film, The Greatest Showman. All of these men and woman are great showmen. they were born to sing dance and entertain. Granted there was some lip syncing but there are also some very strong voices in the cast.

Harlots strip away the surface fashions and bear all with humor and heart.

This Fringe show is in the black  venue which is in The Venue, 511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803. Tickets are $12 along with a Fringe button which is need to get into any Fringe show. 

Remaining sow dates are:

11:59 PM 

10:30 PM

Taurus Faeces at Fringe

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In Taurus Faeces, Deanna Braunstein shared the gift of her mothers many stories in this solo show. These were tales of Life,  Love, truth and some crap. One daughter became a playwright and the other an actress proving that their mom passed along her love of theater and story telling. The title comes from the fact that mom didn’t like her kids to ever curse. Instead she insisted that they learn to curse in Latin and Bull Sh*t translates into Taurus Faeces.

The Red venue was crowded to overflowing so I  used my art stool and sat on the sidelines. Press has shown up in droves indication that there is a high interest in this years Fringe Festival. Reviews, commentary and an excited buzz have begun.

The most visual story involved mom learning that a child will create with poop if given the chance. She entered a room with poop speared walls, floors and even ceiling. Apparently there is a trick in tying a diaper which makes access to the creative substance impossible. She had to clean her child multiple times to erase the memory. However she didn’t learn her lesson because the incident was repeated. The compelling stories were related with emotional theatricality. Her mom’s every nuance was brought to life.

Deanna ended the show saying that everyone has a story to tell, and if you ever plan to have children you should talk to your elder relatives and learn their stories. Those stories will want to be heard someday by the generations to come. Listen, live, love and share.

Tickets to Taurus Faeces are $12. The show runs 60 minutes and is in the Red Venue on the second floor of the Orlando Shakes, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803. For ages 13 and up with some mild language.

Remaining show dates are:

Monday May 21, 2018 at 7:30pm

Thursday May 24, 2018 at 6:00pm

Saturday May 26, 2018 at 3:00pm

Sunday May 27, 2018 at 8:00pm

Along the Way at the Orlando Fringe Festival

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Mertz Productions, of Orlando, FL presents Along the Way at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. The musical takes a glimpse into the lives of 8 people and how they are intertwined through travel. Each of them travel for different reasons, but along the way, all are faced with the question of what spurs them towards adventure and what those journeys mean to them. An original story featuring popular and contemporary pop music. Featuring lovable characters, comedy, romance and some powerful singing.

Set in an airport, the stage is set when a flight is delayed. Passengers must pass the time resulting in new friendships and some romance. The airport janitor breaks into a dream sequence in which everyone has a mop to dance with. The stewardess checking passengers in at the gate was Michelle Knight who performed as Snow White in Disenchanted, a Fringe show that made it all the way to off Broadway in the Big Apple. She brought the same saucy delivery to this role creating a character who could face down the most distraught crowd of passengers. A one point she broke into song, and cut the scene short apologizing, saying, “I forgot we cut that one.”

A holistic healer fell for a business traveler, and serenades him with her Ukulele. A stewardess wife wants to get on the flight so she could be with her husband, the pilot, for their anniversary. Some numbers hit home with absolute delight and others were just stirred into the mix not yet forwarding the story or serving a purpose. There was some real singing talent in the cast. Overall however the show had me bobbing my head as I sketched, a pleasant way to spend 55 minutes at the Fringe.

10:00 PM

1:30 PM 

6:45 PM 

6:45 PM 

8:30 PM

Weekend Top 6 Fringe Picks for May 19th and 20th.

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Saturday May 19, 2018

1 p.m to 2 p.m.  $12 plus a Fringe button. For Love, Sir: Letters of Life, Love, and Sacrifice. Bent Book Productions. Red Venue, upstairs in the Orlando Shakes 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803. Ages 13 and up. “For Love, Sir” is a
beautiful and poignant play following the lives of three service
members and their families as they experience the hardships and
lifestyle of active duty. This story is told through the medium of real
letters either written by or inspired by real soldiers and their
families over the course of American History.

2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. $12 plus a Fringe button. Taurus Faeces. Deanna Braunstein. Red Venue, upstairs in the Orlando Shakes 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803. Ages 13 and up. We all accumulate tales and experiences that follow us to the very end.
In “Taurus Faeces,” Deanna Braunstein unpacks the gift of a lifetime of
stories and memories left by her mother, a fiery word slinger. Deanna
brings to life her mother’s literary voice and skewed sense of humor,
telling tales of life and love, truth and…Taurus Faeces.

11:59 p.m. to 12:59 p.m. $12 plus a Fringe button. Corsets and Cuties – Harlots. Corsets and Cuties, LLC. Black Venue 511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803. Ages 18 +. Sponsored by Premier Couples Superstore, Corsets & Cuties – A
Burlesque Cabaret returns for another scantily clad romp through the
Orlando Fringe! Voted 2 years running among the best of burlesque in
Orlando, there’s something for everyone in this show. Come visit the
Black venue and see why patrons say these Harlots are among their
favorites at Fringe!



Sunday May 20, 2018 

 Noon.  $12 plus a Fringe button. In Tandem. The Explore Composite. Blue Venue in the Shakes 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803. Ages 7 and up. What would you give for an escape? For freedom? For complete liberty?
Inspired by the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, The Explore Composite
examines the complexities of humanity and how we came to develop the
relationships we have today. What bonds us? What drives us apart? How
far would we go to protect the ones that we love?

1:45 p.m.to 2:45 p.m. $10 plus a Fringe button. LUNA. Ana Cuellar. Pink Venue in the Shakes 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803. Ages 7 and up. Join Ana Cuellar, a Cirque du Soleil artist, who brings us 8
internationally acclaimed dances to Fringe this year through her
creation of LUNA. Come and let LUNA’s emotional forces draw you in to
experience her creative spirit channeled through the movement of dance.
Featuring Cirque and top professional performers. Let LUNA light up your life!

9 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. $12 plus a Fringe button. AQUAdance. Voci Dance. SITE-SPECIFIC The Aqua Venue, 1314 Chiester Street. Orlando, FL 32803 a few blocks north of Lock Haven Park. All ages. Dive into the waterful world of AQUAdance, the first water ballet in the
history of the Orlando Fringe! Inspired by Esther Williams’ classic
aqua-musicals, Voci Dance presents a unique blend of modern dance and
synchronized swimming. At an off-site venue with a pool and bar only 1
mile from the beer tent. Brought to you by the award-winning company
behind 2016’s Paint Chips (Orlando Sentinel ‘Best of the Fest,’ Orlando
Weekly ‘Best of Orlando’).

F*ckboys: The Musical

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F*ckboys: The Musical written by Savannah Pedersen is so far my favorite show that I have seen at Fringe this year. Presented by Infinite Productions, founded by Kayla Lopez and Savannah Pedersen, of Orlando, FL, this musical took me by surprise. The title had me thinking that I might be walking into a flashy cross dressing cabaret. Instead I got to meet some very real women with very real issues and concerns. These women meet at a local bar for karaoke night. One loves to sing and the others drink and commiserate. Their goal as stated in the opening number is to educate the audience about F*ckboys who are clearly a roadblock to any single girls peace of mind.

You know them. You love them. You love to hate them. Whatever the case
may be, you’ve probably run into a F*ckboy at some point in your life.
This is a haphazard guide to navigating the dating scene as told through
the eyes of a bunch of twenty-somethings. A musical extravaganza you
won’t want to miss. In a musical number about the history of F*ckboys, Shakespeare is roasted. “Billy Shakes referred to women as strumpets. If I hear another high
school freshman rave about how her relationship is JUST like Romeo and
Juliet because she thinks that that is an accurate depiction of romance,
I’m gonna go back in time and murder him myself. Also, he just looks
like an asshole. Classic f*ckboy.”

This show has just the right balance of real world difficulties mixed with humor. You learn to love and care about each character in turn as you learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Boys throw weak pick up lines at them like wet noodles. When one new man enters the bar everything freezes as the women size him up and come to the conclusion that he might not be a F*ckboy. Sure enough he talks one woman through her difficult break up without hitting on her when  she is down.

Woman 3, (Meghan Mitchell) was a corporate competitor whose career was skyrocketing.
She can rock a Power Pantsuit like nobody’s business. If she doesn’t
become the next Oprah by the time she’s 30, she would consider herself a
failure. She seemed to have it all in check but even she go sideswiped by romance.

The songs are well  written and the show moves at a lively pace. The fourth wall is broken to hilarious effect. Very serious life choices have to be made and in the end they band together singing that they are strong as long as they have each other. If you know a single 20 something, they need to see this show. Hell, I’m a 50 something and I loved every minute.

F*ckboys is in the Green Venue inside the Orlando Repertory Theater 1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Tickets are $12 plus a Fringe button which is needed for every venue.

May 17 8:45PM
May 19 11:00PM
May 22 11:30PM
May 24 9:15PM
May 27 10:45PM