Roofies in the Mochaccino

Hey, kids--only six F bombs!

National Poetry Slammer Michael Shaeffer delivers irreverent rants and turbid tantrums, tackling Transformers, 2Pac, Chewbacca, Elvis Presley, randy mammoths, Hunter S. Thompson, the Beatles, The Little Mermaid, the Incredible Hulk, Charleton Heston, Guitar Hero III, The Wizard of Oz, Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, and muppet sex!

Michael Shaeffer has been hailed by MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL magazine as "inexplicable but totally hilarious." His 2005 Fringe show--Tantrums, Testicles, and Trojans--was praised by the Star Tribune as "brilliantly funny, unpretentious, and engaging."

"Fantasy and cultural satire mingle beautifully in this showcase of poetic storytelling by slam poet Michael Shaeffer. From Shakespeare to Pinocchio to Fleetwood Mac, these intoxicating little riffs deliberately mismatch characters, as when Chewbacca lands in Oz. When pushed to say 'There's no place like home,' he makes an earnest grunt. But there's a hard edge to Shaeffer, too. One fantasy pits a misogynist, homophobic Tupac against various dead musicmakers and ends in a graphic release."

--JOHN TOWNSEND of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

"This one-man show by poetry slammer, actor, singer and writer Michael Shaeffer is great if you're an English major who has just studied Shakespeare and/or you're a pop culture know-it-all, especially a music fan. Shaeffer reels off more than a dozen poems, and if you don't know what he's talking about What's a Foghat? and who was Desdemona, anyway? You may end up feeling out of his loop. His delivery, however, is flawless and a joy to watch; a Hunter S. Thompson scene, with candy standing in for drugs on the way to Las Vegas, is to die for."

--Debra O'Connor of the Pioneer Press

Michael Shaeffer is an extremely talented performer and a pop culture maven. Check out this collection of poems and stories--perfect Fringe. Two shows left! You've got no excuses.

--Kate Hoff



The above clip is "Cry Havoc!"--the show opener, captured at the Ritz Theatre




This clip is "The Night Fozzie Bear got Jiggy with Miss Piggy," taped at the Bedlam.

Showtimes

Thu., Jul. 31 @ 5:30 p.m.
Tue., Aug. 5 @ 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 8 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 10 @ 5:30 p.m.

Show details

Venue: Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

Duration: 60 minutes

For ages 16+

Written by Michael Shaeffer

From: Fairbanks, AK

Genres: Solo, Spoken Word

Warnings: Adult language, Sexual Content

Overall rating

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User reviews

The marketing doesn't do this justice
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Shaeffer's material is much more poignant and earnest than the show description would lead you to believe . . . but don't worry, it's still irreverent and edgy. Shaeffer's delivery is unique and so engaging. I recommend you catch the final show of this.

I liked it, but I didn't love it.
by Erica Mauter Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
It was an easy-to-endure show, as each poem was only a few minutes long. I confess, my previous perception of beat poetry involved a beret, sunglasses, and snapping. So if this is beat poetry, this is way better than I thought it was. He writes well and he tells it well.

I'll be looking out for more Michael Shaeffer around town.

Very Hit and Miss
by Erin McCullough Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
A couple of bright moments (especially involving Guitar Hero) but somewhat hard to follow.

cup of his hand
by Chris Friedlieb Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Despite it's "hip" title, this show had sincerity and charm, but still hip and edgy... sometimes almost a Shel Silverstein-ish cadence, but NSFK ... includes Fozzie Bear cuckolding the frog... ( but he really uses the pop culture references...) He had the audience in the cup of his hand.

In Awe.
by Neil Fennell Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Michael is a wordsmith of the highest degree. He has that true "it" factor that many of us artists strive to find, which is the talent to say something that's not just true, but to say it WELL. Mike has the ability to turn the audience from belly laughs to rapt listening, simply with the turn of one well-placed phrase. His delivery is heartfelt, enticing, and strong. Please don't miss the chance to catch him in his last two shows!

The Next George Carlin
by Wayne Wenzel Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Beat poetry was never this funny. And not this clever since the late, great George Carlin. Mr Shaeffer takes his audience on a hugely entertaining tour of pop culture, past to present. Anyone who has been even slightly awake (and not on roofies) during the past 30 years will laugh their bacon-smoked, curly-tailed asses off!

Should Be a Fringe Hit
by phillip low Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A startling combination of poetry, profanity, pathos, and pop culture. It's a remarkable performance, and I'm sincerely baffled as to why he isn't a Fringe hit. Full review available at the Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Don't Be Scared Off By the Word "Poetry"
by Ben San Del Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This is a funny, face-paced show with a lot of great wordplay. Don't let the word "poetry" scare you off. It's poetry at its pop-culture best. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Slam:Dunk!
by Jodie Kalla Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The one word that keeps coming to mind when I think about Mr. Shaeffer's performance is genuine. He's genuinely talented, he's genuinely sincere, he's genuinely funny, and this a genuine Fringe show.

Interact is a very intimate space and Mr. Shaeffer draws you in completely, His poetry is witty, fun and surprisingly sweet. My favorite piece was "Top Down" an ode to Hunter S. Thompson. Mr. Shaeffer replaces the drug references with candy bars and my sweet tooth was never happier.

nice!
by sharon baker Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
the cultural references were all dead on for me!
muppets rule! especially robin, sweetums, beaker, camilla...hey, have you thought of using some of miss piggy's broken french?
oh, and, in the paul mccartney piece...you know he's a vegetarian, right..?

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