The Crystalline Cabaret indeed delivers on a variety of fantasies without being overly risque with their House Nocturnae. Although there are plenty of pasties and shaking bare bottoms. The performers are playful and entertaining providing a smorgasbord of burlesque performances to suit almost any palate, from latex to lace to feather boas. There isn't much of a story line to the overall show or any of the individual performances other than you as the audience member being whisked away to visions of an old timely cabaret where you forget your worries and enjoy the entertainment provided by a troupe of sensual ladies. If all of that and the cartwheels and splits still aren't enough to make your evening complete it's almost impossible to deny the beautiful crooning of the torch singer, I only wish we were treated to more than just the one song. The Crystalline Cabaret Presents: House Nocturnae is playing at the Havana Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Karen Roller Click "read more" for the full video transcript.
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Written and in part performed by Jeff Hoffman. The story of 50 Fun Things is a musical romantic comedy that explores life from both positive and pessimistic angles. Opening with a scene about the current state of their relationship, characters: Kelcie and Seth present to you scenes of the beginnings of their relationship and their quest to find 50 fun things to do. This show is definitely a tear-jerker but it is also just so darn cute that you can’t help but smile. Filled with musical recordings and accompanied by live singing and ukulele, 50 Fun Things will take you on an emotional journey that you will appreciate. And you may even feel better about life after seeing this show. 50 Fun Things by Maniac Productions is playing at the Cultch Historic Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Selene Dublanko Click "read more" for the full video transcript.Get ready for a sombre but fascinating evening of haunting tunes and tales. A Sad-Ass Cabaret stars the duo TJ Dawe and Lindsay Robertson as they recount the stories of famous musicians’ lives. With his fast-paced speech TJ Dawe shares the stories of singers such as Hank Williams and Judy Garland amongst others while Lindsay Robertson accompanies him with guitar and eventually breaks into a song attributed to the artist whose story has been told. The sad stories and chilling music will lull you into a contemplative mood in which you consider how artists can still make beautiful music even though they have terrible lives - not because of their pain, but in spite of it. Playing at the intimate Havana Theatre and produced by The Wretched Orphans, A Sad-Ass Cabaret is a beautiful ponderous evening of music and storytelling woven seamlessly together. A Sad-Ass Cabaret by The Wretched Orphans is playing at the Havana Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Selene Dublanko Click "read more" for the full video transcript.Spanning three generations in a haunted drug trip of a story, this show was more psychedelic than I had anticipated. We got to see the past and future interact with each other in unusual ways. Auguries of Innocence held two main highlights in my mind- the original music by Meshe Mooette was familiar in words penned by Blake himself and haunting in melody, the other highlight was in the portrayal of the male protagonist. The actor expertly delivered a physically demanding performance with precision and apparent comfort while acting out various stages of sobriety. Auguries of Innocence by Urthona Vancouver is playing at the Cultch Historic 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Annina Engelbrecht Click "read more" for the full video transcript.The F Words is a one-woman show by written and performed Yvette Dudley-Neuman, and directed by Maureen Robinson. This show contains some sexual content. The F Words examines themes of aging and obesity and a sense of worthlessness, from a female perspective, in modern times. It is an auto-biographical piece that traces Dudley-Neuman’s experiences of shame, from her tween years into her 40s. These experiences take up most of the show, but in the final act, we also see her overcome some of her fears and challenges to embrace new adventures and self-concepts. Dudley-Neuman must be applauded for what is probably the most creative set piece I have ever seen at any Fringe show, the goddess curtains, and they are inspiringly used. I only wished that they had been more front and centre. Surprisingly, there are a few musical numbers in this show. Dudley-Neuman has a wonderful voice, and the songs are the strongest aspects of the piece, showcasing not only her vocal talent, but also the wit and cleverness of the writing. Unfortunately, despite some great writing and wonderful moments, this show suffers from significant structural issues. It is far too long at 75 minutes, with too many unnecessary characters, anecdotes, and time jumps. I was often confused about where and when we were, and which character was speaking. Although I loved the goddess parts, the grandmother who introduces them could have been cut altogether, until her amazing and hilarious sex lesson in the final act. The F Words has the makings of a great show, and speaks to a group that is grossly under-represented in theatre and media. I anticipate that many women over 40 would feel like they have a voice and a sister in Yvette Dudley-Neuman. The F Words is playing at Performance Works 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Vanessa Marshall Click "read more" for the full video transcript.Die Hard: the Musical-ish is another tight show from the people who previously brought the Hunger Games Musical Trilogy to the Fringe in years passed. One of the cleverest aspects of this production is that they acknowledge at the outset that it’s rather ridiculous to be mounting a production of Die Hard on the kind of shoestring budget and barebones theatre space of Fringe. They deal with this by seemingly having writer, director, and producer, Mark Vandenberg talk to the audience directly, breaking the 4th wall, and basically explaining that they don’t have the budget to properly mount Die Hard: the Musical, explaining their hopes and ambitions for the show, and asking the audience for money to make these dreams come true. The show is punctuated by these very funny explanations of what they ‘would do’ if they had the budget. This show is overall well-written and well-performed. It embraces it’s absurdity and has a lot of fun. The songs are overall strong, except for the first and last numbers, which are the weakest, and could easily be cut or parred down. They cleverly used hits from the 1980’s, with changed lyrics, so that thematically, as well as substantively, it held together. Although sparse, the costumes and props were well-used. Even though most of the actors and actresses played multiple roles, it was always clear where we were and who was who (except in the opening number, which was confusing). I especially enjoyed the trio who played the 4 German terrorists, who really embraced the absurdity of the show and provided thorough laughs. While I thoroughly enjoyed this show, I found the beginning to be somewhat unclear, and seemed to require knowledge of the source material. Similarly, I found the multiple epilogues of the ending to drag an otherwise tight show. Mr. Vandenberg may want to consider transitioning at the hilarious “I guess that means everything’s okay now” line right into the ensemble number “We’re Not Kidding”. Overall, a delightful show, even for those who dislike musicals. You won’t be able to keep yourself from being swept up by the charm and hilarity of this ensemble. Die Hard: the Musical-ish by District 13 Presents is playing at Studio 1398 on Granville Island 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Vanessa Marshall Click "read more" for the full video transcript. |
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