Minnesota Fringe Festival

schedule

Show reviews by Mr. Josh

The Return of LICK!
Over the Toppage of epic proportions by Mr. Josh
Rating: 5 kitties
I feel sorry for Igor (review below) - this is NOT the show to attend expecting professional dance. circle These guys may be sextabulous, but they\'re certainly not professionals. This show was part homage to a gelatinous fallen friend, part sex-off, part comedy routine, and all fun. square The best part of the show was of course the extremely sexitudinalized state it left my girlfriend in. Highly recommended for those who don\'t take themselves, or life, too seriously.

Squawk
Arctic circle, Biatch! by Mr. Josh
Rating: 5 kitties
The story was fast paced and amusing, but I derived even more enjoyment from watching the actors work. A couple of the fringe shows I've seen so far have seemed poorly (if at all) rehearsed, but the cast of Squawk! made things seem like they were always meant to be that way. It was one of those situations where they must have worked hard to be that good, but it's as if the work now is effortless. It was obvious that they paid an immense amount of attention to detail. The movement of the penguin feet are one example. I don't think I'm communicating this well, but this was the most efficient show I've ever seen. Everybody knew what they were doing, everybody was in their proper place. It's like the director has gone through lean manufacturing training. Highly Recommended!

Blue Ribbon Burlesque
Everything I expected and more! by Joshua Abell
Rating: 5 kitties
I just wish it was longer! The timing seemed a little awkward, but did not seriously detract from the entertainment factor. Hopefully that will be worked out after a couple of shows. Nadine was great as MC, but I have to disagree - Sweetpea was great, but the Native American huntress had the better backside by far! (and who was that? I don't see her listed to the left.)

Slow Jobs: Servicing America for $12 an Hour
They give a really good Slow Jobs! by Joshua Abell
Rating: 5 kitties
C'mon, somebody had to do it! The only way this could have been better is if it had more cursing. Curt and Laura had me laughing during the entire show. I haven't seen a whole lot of story-telling, but they do it well and were able to be simultaneously endearing and hilarious.

Comedy Go!
Fun and occasionally awkward by Mr. Josh
Rating: 4 kitties
The show I saw included a lot of Chiquita banana. I dig it. As with (most?) improv comedy, there were bits that should have gone longer, bits that should have been shorter, and bits that shoulda died a'bornin. Enjoy!

Tragedy of You
Doesn't Measure Up by Joshua Abell
Rating: 4 kitties
This just doesn't measure up to the rest of Joseph's work. It was fascinating to watch him work the details of a random member of the audience into the five act Shakespearean tragedy, but by midway through the third act, I was over it. Joseph said that modern audiences often dislike the fourth act of the standard tragedy, and I was no exception with his version. Fortunately the fifth act was entertaining and I felt he finished strong. I look forward to seeing more Scrimshaw - and I'm not just talking about whalebone carvings!

My Sinking Ship
Word by Joshua Abell
Rating: 4 kitties
I concur that this is indeed the best spoken word in a raft ever. Unless some unwilling castaway cannibal maybe heard some good riffs and isn't telling. Allison put on a great show and I was very entertained by tales that I could relate to. The only drawback was the constant reliance on notes. A little bit more audience connection would really push this over into 5 kitties for me.

You /Provoke /Me
They really CAN dance! by Joshua Abell
Rating: 4 kitties
I enjoyed the dancing, but I wasn't able to really connect with about half of it. Maybe those educated in dance would enjoy those bits more. I did enjoy the interplay of light and shadow in the first two acts, and the Hearts on Fire show was really fun. I was also entertained by the way gender roles were treated in the Sextet.

You're Naked, You're Crazy, And We're All Gonna Die
Almost fascinating jaunt through madness by Mr. Josh
Rating: 4 kitties
Paul had me believin'! I'm not sure that "through" is appropriate in the title. Are we really past the crazy? Paul's accents were spot on, and the characters were all believable. I thought the dramatic effects - music etc. - were a little bit overdone. I don't know how you share "crazy" with the audience, but there's got to be a better way.

AfterLife
Selfish, self-centered, and narcissistic by Mr. Josh
Rating: 4 kitties
The title is what all of the characters in this show have in common, with the third showing hints of change. I thought the first act was really good. The accent seemed slightly affected to begin with, but improved from there. I wish I hadn't read Reid's comment below, because I just couldn't get Sarah Palin outta my head during the middle act. Imagine my surprise 5 minutes into the third act when it turns into a burlesque show! Complete with belly button ring and tramp stamp. Being prurient, I had no problem with this of course, but I thought you should know. All in all, I thought that Candy did a great job of portraying deeply flawed yet sympathetic characters.

The Finkles' Theater Show
Miss this show... by Mr. Josh
Rating: 3 kitties
...if there's anything else to see. All too often their feigned incompetence is indistinguishable from the real thing. The beginning was uncomfortably uninteresting, but they DID get going enough to where I'm not angry about the hour that's irretrievably gone from my life.

The Harty Boys in The Case of the Limping Platypus
OK by Joshua Abell
Rating: 3 kitties
I think this is probably a great kids' show, but it just couldn't hold my interest for the full hour. I read every single Hardy boy book in junior high, and maybe I've just grown too old and jaded (@33) to appreciate this show.

Stalled: An Elevator Story
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz by Mr. Josh
Rating: 2 kitties
I'm sorry - what happened? did I miss something? There were moments in this tale of imprisonment that entertained, but there were also great deserts of some of the most uninteresting conversation I have ever heard. This would have perhaps been better if it were shortened. 10 minutes maybe? 'Course then I wouldn't have been able to get in that nap in the middle section. Maybe it worked out for the best after all?

The Nightingale
Snoozer by Mr. Josh
Rating: 2 kitties
After the fringe preview show, for some reason I was expecting this to be an African American theater troupe, but they ended up being a diverse group. Unfortunately, they ended up being a boring group as well. The good: Mari's singing, and a couple of cute girls dancing around in a minimal amount of clothing. Some of the dancing. The bad: The rest of the dancing, accents that came and went, an emperor whose shouting seemed unnecessary, and a plot that was as vague as it was nonsensical.