Showing posts with label FringeNYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FringeNYC. Show all posts

Monday, August 29, 2016

2016 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards



Winners of the 2016 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards were announced by festival Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy  at DROM in New York.  As selected by an independent panel of over 30 theater professionals,  the winners are as follows:

Overall Play:
Pucker Up and Blow
The Radicalization of Rolfe
Black Magic


Overall Musical:
Mother Emanuel

Direction:
Kristin Skye Hoffmann - Dream Ticket
Leslie Kincaid Burby - Zamboni
Jessi D. Hill - Brewed

Ensemble:
The Gorges Motel
Colorblind'd
The Further Adventures of...
ChipandGus


Solo Performance:
The Box Show
Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan
At The Flash
Pryor Truth
Rent Control


Playwrighting:
Kevin R. Free - Night of the Living N-Word!!
Dahn Hiuni - Murmurs & Incantations
Meghan Gambling - Bonnie's Future Sisters
Louis Aquiler & Chris D'Amato - Dementia Americana

Acting:
Taylor Turner - The Illusory Adventures of a Dreamer
Nadia Brown - Hysterical!
Meg Kelly - Kerrmoor
Dave Droxler - Walken on Sunshine

Choreography:
Tom Gold - Joey Variations

Scenic Design:
Jason Lee Courson - Cyrano: a love letter to a friendship

Music/Lyrics:
Aaron Michael Krueger - Super!

Music Composition:
Matthew Lowy - Fallen Skies
Ben Singer - At the Crossroads: Music for Faust

TheaterMania Audience Favorite:
Walken on Sunshine

Monday, August 25, 2014

2014 Fringe Overall Excellence Award Winners

The 2014 Fringe Festival has come to an end, and awards were given out last night at The Cutting Room in midtown.  


And the winners are:

Overall Play:
Absolutely Filthy
The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen
This is Where We Live

 

Overall Musical:
Jump Man: A Mario Musical
King of Kong
Urban Momfare

 

Acting:
Janet Prince - Murder Margaret & Me
Stephen Wallem - Bedroom Secrets
Gwendolyn Kelso - Interior: Panic
Brendan Hunt - Absolutely Filthy

 

Playwrighting:
Briandaniel Oglesby - Halfway, Nebraska
Catherine Yu - The Sun Experiment
Sara Cooper - Things I Left on Long Island
Daniel McCabe - The Flood
Jacob Marx Rice - Chemistry

 

Solo Performance:
Gary Busey's Hamlet
Hoaxocaust
Magical Negro Speaks
No Static at All
The Mushroom Cure

 

Music & Lyrics Composition:
Elliah Helfetz - Dust Can't Kill Me

 

Ensemble:
The List
No One Asked Me
Freaks: A Legend About Growing Up
Vestments of the Gods
The 8th Fold

 

Costumes:
Ashley Soliman - Fatty Fatty No Friends
 

Directing:
Bronwen Carson - April's Fool
Gregory Kowalski - Crave

 

TheaterMania Audience Favorite:
Absolutely Filthy

Monday, August 26, 2013

2013 Fringe Excellence Awards

Another Fringe Festival has ended.  Here are the winners of the Fringe Excellence Awards: 

Overall Play:
Kemble's Riot
Ndebele Funeral
Waiting For Waiting For Godot

Overall Musical:
Gertrude Stein Saints!
Save The Date: A Wedding Road-Trip Musical

Playwrighting:
Carol and Cotton - James Vculek
Down the Mountain and Across the Stream - Jake Shore
Kumrads Wont - Christina Michelle Watkins
The Rufus Equation - Ted Cubbin
Strange Rain - Lynda Crawford

Solo Performance:
En Avant: An Evening with Tennessee Williams
Human Fruit Bowl
Naked in Alaska
Talk to Me About Shame
What's an Anjan?

Ensemble:
Count Down My Life
Peninsula
What Every Girl Should Know
The Young Olympians & The Most Amazingly Awesome Adventure Ever

Book, Music & Lyrics:
Cowboys Don’t Sing: A Western Musical - Dennis Flynn, Johnny Kelley & T.J. 
Alcalá

Costume Design:
Joey Haws - The Nightmare "Dream"

Directing:
Padraic Lillis - Bully
Lisa Oretenzi - Double Heart (The Courtship of Beatrice and Benedick)
Michelle Sutherland - Gertrude Stein Saints!

Choreography:
Allison Plamondon - Someone To Belong To

Puppetry:
Lula del Ray

Performance:
Remy Germinario - Bradley Cole: A Musical
Jonas Nerbe - William
Melissa Rosenberger - Carroll Gardens Aborning
Howie Michael Smith - America’s Breath of Fresh Air

TheaterMania Audience Favorite:
Perfectly Normel People

Monday, August 12, 2013

2 Fringe Recommendations

It is so hard to choose from among the 180+ shows that happen every August in as part of The New York International Fringe Festival, so here are two tips: 

GERTRUDE STAIN'S SAINTS 
Director Michelle Sutherland and an unbelievably talented ensemble bring Gertrude Stein's Four Saint in Three Acts to musical life. Created at Carnegie Mellon University, GERTRUDE STAIN'S SAINTS brings Stein's libretto through a virtual history of twentieth century music. I'm sure Stein would love this production.

Gertrude Stein SAINTS! Trailer from Theatre Plastique on Vimeo.

Only 3 more performances:
 

MON 12 @ 7:30
TUE 13 @ 7:30
WED 14 @ 4:45


At: The Ellen Stewart Theatre

LUNA DEL RAY
Chicago's Manual Cinema has created a live, real-time animated film complete with opening and closing credits, dissolves, POV shots, close-ups - you name it! And they (re)create it at each performance. The live music ads just the right score to this sweet and magical experience.

Manual Cinema - Lula del Ray (Official Trailer) from Manual Cinema on Vimeo.

Only 3 more performances:
 

THU 15 @ 5:30
WED 21 @ 2:00
FRI 23 @ 9:45


At the The Theater at the 14th Street Y

For tickets and info: Click Here





Friday, December 21, 2012

Very Honorable Mentions for 2012

We'll be posting our 20 Favorite Shows of 2012 in the coming days. In the meantime, here are 14 shows we saw in 2012 that deserved recognition.

The Honorable Mentions List for 2012:
(in alphabetical order)


1. The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
(Mike Daisey @ The Public)
Controversy aside, Mike Daisey's monologue about his love/hate relationship with Apple was a powerful piece of theater, expertly performed.

---

2. Barbicide
(The Theatre Project @The Players Theater)
Sean Pomposello's hard-boiled riff on the legend of Sweeney Todd was given a first-class production by director Christian Amato and a quartet of excellent actors.

---

3. Charlie Victor Romeo - CVR (3LD)
No less effective then when it was first presented, Charlie Victor Romeo may be even more intense post-911. The feature film version will premiere at Sundance in January 2013.

---

4. Finding Elizabeth Taylor
(FringeNYC)
A fantastic coming-of-age-with-a-famous-name story was given an excellent production at the Fringe this summer.

---

5. Jukebox Jackie:Snatches of Jackie Curtis
(LaMama)
Scott Wittman's enormously fun salute to Warhol's Superstar with superb turns by Mx. Justin Vivian Bond and Cole Escola.

---

6. The Lady From Dubuque
(Signature Theater)
Director David Esbjornson made a case for The Lady From Dubuque to be re-considered as one of Edward Albee's great plays with help from Laila Robins breathtaking performance.

---

7. Night of the Auk
(FringeNYC)
A Broadway flop in 1956 was given the full-parody treatment at the Fringe this summer and the results were hilarious.

---

8. Restoration Comedy
(The Flea)
Director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar's and the Bats turn Amy Freed's play into a delightful party. This one's still running thru December 31, so go!

---

9. Roman Tragedies
(Toneelgroep Amsterdam @ BAM)
Ivo van Hove took on all three of Shakespeare's Roman plays and freed the audience by letting us/them move about the theater, including on to the stage.

---

10. Space//Space
(Banana Bag & Bodice @ Collapsable Hole)
Banana Bag & Bodice's latest was a quirky and disturbing little gem.

---

11. Title and Deed
(Signature Theater)
Will Eno's latest was a smart and funny and slightly sad solo play wonderfully performed by Conor Lovett.

---

12. The Ugly One
(Soho Rep)
Alfredo Narciso, Steven Boyer and Lisa Joyce were  delicious in this nightmarish satire of physical beauty.

---

13. We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
(Soho Rep)
Jackie Sibblies Drury's play was given a great production that made audiences wonderfully uncomfortable.

---

14. World of Wires
(Jay Scheib @ The Kitchen)
The awesome Jay Scheib did it again with World of Wires and proved why he's in a class by himself.














Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Best of 2011: #18 - The Bardy Bunch (FringeNYC)

THE BARDY BUNCH was The Brady Bunch vs The Partridge Family vis a vie Shakespeare. Marcia Brady as Juliet. David Partridge as Romeo. Jan as Ophelia. Mrs. Brady as Lady Macbeth. And on and on. Clever choreography. Brisk direction. THE BARDY BUNCH was the perfect Fringe show!

Monday, August 29, 2011

2011 FringeNYC Encore Series

SOHO PLAYHOUSE:

After Anne Frank
"...though Anne Frank died before I was born, she keeps re-appearing in my life
teaching me new things about being Jewish and being part of the human family."
A funny and touching memoir from Carol Lempert, the creator/performer of the
FringeNYC hit That Dorothy Parker.
Sat 9/10 @ 4:30pm, Sat 9/17 @ 4, Wed 9/21 @ 8pm, Fri 9/23 @ 9:30pm

facebook me
6 MILLION teenage girls are on Facebook. Get ready for a shockingly real look
into our lives as we navigate our adolescence online...where status is more than
an update. It's 10pm. Do you know who your daughter is?
Sun 9/11 @ 2pm, Sat 9/17 @ 2pm, Sun 9/18 @ 2pm, Sat 9/24 @ 9:30pm, Sun 9/25 @
2pm

The More Loving One
An underage sex trial shakes up the lives of two couples--- one gay, one
straight--- on a summer weekend in a steamy college town. A sharp and
provocative new comedy about the uncertainties of lust and commitment.
Sun 9/11 @ 7:30pm, Wed 9/14 @ 9pm, Tue 9/20 @ 8pm, Thu 9/22 @ 9:30pm, Mon 9/26 @
8pm


Fourteen Flights
Two pilots on the brink of madness. Up in the air, clear skies. But down on
the ground, their personal lives spiral out of control. Will they reach the
horizon or crash and burn?
Mon 9/12 @ 8pm, Tue 9/13 @ 8pm, Thu 9/15 @ 9:30pm, Fri 9/16 @ 9pm, Sun 9/18 @
7:30pm


PigPen Presents The Mountain Song
2010 FringeNYC Overall Excellence winners and runaway hit PigPen Theatre Co.
return with "The Mountain Song". A carpenter must travel over mountains, rivers,
and deserts to attend his daughter’s wedding… without a clue as to where it's
taking place.
Wed 9/14 @ 7pm, Sat 9/17 @ 9:30pm, Sun 9/19 @ 8pm, Sat 9/24 @ 5pm, Sun 9/25 @
7:30pm

HURON CLUB @ SOHO PLAYHOUSE:

Paper Cut
A lonely secretary escapes her bleak reality by bringing to life black&white
photos from old film magazines. But as the story unravels, her romantic tale
becomes a Hitchcock nightmare! An award winning performance of paper and object
theater.
Fri 9/9 @ 7pm, Sat 9/10 @ 5pm, Sun 9/11 @ 7:30pm, Mon 9/12 @ 8pm, Tue 9/13 @
8pm

You Only Shoot The Ones You Love
Find out how acclaimed playwright Jeffrey Sweet found a second family in
improvisational comedy, including a crazy uncle named Del Close, and
inadvertently became the illegitimate grandfather of the Upright Citizens
Brigade. With special regards to the Cossacks for not quite killing my
grandmother.
Fri 9/9 @ 9:30pm, Wed 9/14 @ 7pm, Thu 9/15 @ , Fri 9/16 @ 10pm

Bongani
In post-apartheid South Africa, Bongani hurtles toward destruction. Corinne,
from an activist Jewish family, thinks she can rescue him, and her struggling
country. Bongani thinks she should rescue herself. The mesmerizing tale of a
love that could never be.
Sat 9/17 @ 4:30pm, Sun 9/18 @ 5pm, Mon 9/19 @ 8pm, Wed 9/21 @ 8pm

Who Loves You Baby?
Directed by Taylor Negron, this comic lounge act celebrates the romantic musings
of 70's icon, Telly Savalas, who has returned from the grave to give the
cynical hipsters of today a good kick in the pants.
Sun 9/18 @ 7:30pm, Tue 9/20 @ 8pm, Thu 9/22 @ 8pm, Sun 9/25 @ 7:30pm

PLAYERS THEATRE:


I Will Be Good
A southern girl raised to conform dares to be different. Surviving scandal and
depression, stalked by God, this ex-belle makes a witty, poignant journey from
successful executive to struggling artist that resonates with all. A good story
about bad behavior.
Fri 9/9 @ 7pm, Sun 9/11 @ 4pm, Sat 9/24 @ 5pm, Sun 9/25 @ 6pm

Araby
Joyce's Dubliners come to life in popular song: 15 stories in 15 songs. Soaring
voices and chamber ensemble transform gut-wrenching vignettes into tales of
redemption. From eastern-flavored Araby to gospel pastiche Grace to The Dead,
beauty, joy and catharsis beckon.
Sat 9/10 @ 5pm, Sun 9/11 @ 6pm, Sun 9/18 @ 7pm, Mon 9/19 @ 7pm

Felony Friday
A notorious crime boss is locked up with the city's worst. He has a visitor, the
man he murdered 48hrs earlier. Justice is blind, but the devil sees all.
Starring Jon Amos (of TV's Good Times).
Sat 9/10 @ 7:30pm, Sun 9/11 @ 8pm, Tue 9/13 @ 7:30pm, Thu 9/15 @ 9:30pm

Pearl's Gone Blue
The 1940's South. Even the Gospel church is hot. But that's nothing compared to
the temperature rise when bluesman Beau comes to town. Sellulah Pearl's got her
sights on more than his guitar. But who will sing the last note?
Fri 9/9 @ 9:30pm, Fri 9/16@ 9:30pm, Mon 9/19 @ 9pm, Sun 9/25 @ 8pm


The Legend of Julie Taymor,or The Musical That Killed Everybody!
World premiere rock musical comedy based on the rise and fall of director Julie
Taymor and the behind-the-scenes scandals of Spider-Man. Will the biggest
Broadway musical in history be saved... or become a Greek tragedy?
Wed 9/14 @ 7pm, Thu 9/15 @ 7pm, Fri 9/16 @ 7pm, Sat 9/17 @ 7pm, Sat 9/17 @
10:30pm

Parker & Dizzy's Fabulous Journey to the End of the Rainbow
If Wizard of Oz had a foursome with Star Wars, Thelma & Louise and Da Vinci
Code, its offspring would be this hilarious musical adventure. Dead bodies! Drag
queens! Clones! The gay holy grail! May the Fierce be with them.
Wed 9/14 @ 9:30pm, Sun 9/18 @ 9pm, Wed 9/21 @ 9pm, Fri 9/23 @ 7pm, Sat 9/24 @
10pm


COBU - Dance like Drumming, Drum like Dancing
Founded by YAKO MIYAMOTO, from the hit STOMP and the Hollywood movie "COBU 3D",
this all-girl "TAIKO" drum group mixes traditional with funk and hip-hop for
performances like you've never seen before. Come feel their girl power and
heart beat!!
Sat 9/17 @ 5pm, Sat 9/24 @ 3:30pm

Noir
Right or wrong, what does it matter? Only the movies are black and white.
Sun 9/18 @ 4pm, Tues 9/20 @ 7pm, Thu 9/22 @ 7pm

Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin' Rock Opera
MTV's reality phenomenon "Jersey Shore" gets the rock opera treatment in this
brand new musical parody. Behind all the fist pumping and fighting, it turns out
all these guidos and guidettes really care about is love, family, and gettin'
it in.
Wed 9/21 @ 7pm, Thu 9/22 @ 10pm, Fri 9/23 @ 10:30pm, Sat 9/24 @ 8pm, Sun 9/25 @
4pm

Sunday, August 28, 2011

FringeNYC 2011 Announces Overall Excellence Award Winners

Overall Production/Play:

PigPen Presents The Mountain Song
The More Loving One


Overall Production/Musical:

Yeast Nation
Pearl's Gone Blue




Performance:

Jennifer Barnhart (The Legend of Julie Taymor,or The Musical That Killed Everybody!)
Ryan Barry (In the Summer Pavilion)
Miles Cooper (Elysian Fields)
Patrick Byas (Sammy Gets Mugged)
Casey McClellan (My Name Is Billy)
Brian Charles Rooney (Winner Takes All)
Lauren Hennessy (Ampersand: A R&J Love Story)


Playwriting:

Nicholas Billon (Greenland)
A.D. Penedo (The Three Times She Knocked)
Bella and the Pool Boy (Dennis Flanagan)


Music Composition:

Chris Rael (Araby)
Dusty Brown (The Ballad of Rusty and Roy)


Ensemble:

Jersey Shoresical
The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady
Stimulated!
Crawling with Monsters


Costume Design:


Stephanie Alexander (Le Gourmand, or Gluttony!)
Mark Richard Caswell (Parker and Dizzy’s Fabulous Journey to the End of the Rainbow)
Tara DeVincenzo (Technodulia Dot Com)


Directing:

Greg Foro (Hamlet)
Joshua Kahan Brody (Fourteen Flights)
Alaska Reece Vance (The Disorientation of Butterflies)


Solo Performance:

Donna/Madonna
The Day the Sky Turned Black
Be Careful! The Sharks Will Eat You!
Paper Cut
Heroes and Other Strangers



Dance:

Wallstories
When the Sky Breaks 3D


Video Design:


Cinty Ionescu (Nils' Fucked Up Day)



TheaterMania Audience Favorite Award:

COBU - Dance like Drumming, Drum like Dancing

Winners of the 2011 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards, as selected by an independent panel of nearly 50 theater professionals.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

2010 Fringe Awards

Audience Favorite:

  • Viva Los Bastarditos!

Unique Theatrical Experience:

  • Ground to Cloud
  • Daddy Day

Excellence in Dance:

  • Namely, Muscles
  • Swaha: Rituals of Union

Excellence in Solo Shows:

  • Miss Magnolia Beaumont Goes to Provincetown
  • Driving the Saudis
  • SCARED SKINNY: a one (hundred pound lighter) woman show
  • VIVA LA EVOLUCION!
  • Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

Excellence in Directing:

  • Divya Palat for A PERSONAL WAR- STORIES OF THE MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS
  • Kym Gomes for By Hands Unknown
  • Josh Liveright for Alternative Methods

Excellence in Ensemble:

  • Veritas
  • Timing of the Day
  • The Secretaries
  • Dear Harvey

Excellence in Music and Lyrics:

  • The Pig, The Farmer, and The Artist
  • The Morning After / The Night Before
  • POPE! An Epic Musical

Excellence in Playwriting:

  • James Asmus for Hearts Full of Blood
  • Matt Saldarelli for Getting Even with Shakespeare
  • Stephen W. Baldwin for My Name is Ruth
  • Harrison David Rivers for When Last We Flew

Excellence in Performance:

  • Marina Squerciati for Just in Time: The Judy Holliday Story
  • Jake Ahlquist for Richard 3
  • Deanna Pacelli for 23 Feet in 12 Minutes – The Death and Rebirth of New Orleans
  • Rory Limpede for When Last We Flew
  • Jared Houseman for Art of Attack
  • Geraldine Librandi for Lost and Found
  • Tyler Moss for Terror Super Highway

Overall Excellence in Production (Play):

  • The Hurricane Katrina Comedy Festival
  • The Momentum
  • Pig Pen Presents: The Nightmare Story
  • The 20th Century Way

Overall Excellence in Production (Musical):

  • Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical
  • Bunked!: A New Musical

Friday, August 27, 2010

In Defense of Fringe

Once again people are questioning the existence of The New York International Fringe Festival. Our question is: When was the last time you saw a people lined up down the block or around the corner to get into the Lucile Lortel or the Players Theater? The Fringe succeeds in making people excited about theater. And on that score alone Ludlow Lad give it a big thumbs up.


But let’s address some of the complaints in the recent NY Times article . Since year one, FringeNYC was criticized for adjudicating participants, yet these are usually the same people that complain about the random quality. You can’t have it both ways; does anything think the quality would be better if FringeNYC participants were admitted on a first-come-first-served or lottery basis?

Ludlow Lad is not even sure what part of FringeNYC is “poorly orginized” according to Jason Zinoman. Every show starts pretty much on time and there is no late seating - rules Ludlow Lad thinks should become law in NYC. The fact that 197 shows happen at 18 venues without incident is pretty amazing actually. We rarely see box office incidents or house management issues at all. One line for Will Call and one line for Ticket Buyers - it’s pretty efficient.

As we’ve said before, it would be wonderful if Fringe NYC could happen in a geographically concentrated area - but did you see East 4th Street this year? There were six venues between Bowery and 2nd Avenue. What other block has more venues than that? The only thing that could have made it better (besides getting New York Theater Workshop as a venue) would be having Fringe Central on that block, too.

And of course it difficult finding the gems among 197 shows. Maybe the Fringe website needs to allow for slightly longer descriptions - but that could become even harder to navigate. Maybe space could be allotted to previous credits of the participants of each show - but even that is no grantee of success. As a former FringeNYC participant, Ludlow Lad would argue for longer tech time in the assigned venues - this could allow for better production values (or at least smoother first performances). But as someone who is NOT looking for the the next Broadway hit and just looking for some interesting shows, Ludlow Lad thinks Elena Holy and the whole FringeNYC teal to an outstanding job and we’d hate to see the The York International Fringe Festival go anywhere!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fringe 2010 (part 2)

Ludlow Lad enjoyed the most recent batch of Fringe shows he saw: Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical was a lot of good, silly fun with the Jurassic Park story being told from the dinosaurs’ point of view. Brandon Espinoza was quite good as Mimeasaurus.


At the totally other end of the Fringe spectrum was
Veritas (photo above), Stan Richardson’s play very good about a real-life witch-hunt for gays at Harvard in the 1920’s. The cast is uniformly good under Ryan J. Davis’ excellent direction. If they manage to re-think the final twenty minutes, the show could be brilliant.


And finally, Ludlow Lad caught the TOSOS production of
The Secretaries (photo above) and had a seriously great time. The cast of five could not be better and director Mark Finley keeps things moving at exactly the right pace. This show is hilarious!

For tickets and info: CLICK HERE

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Fringe 2010 (so far)

The first week of the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival is over. Ludlow Lad has seen eleven or twelve shows with another five or so to go. Among the best of the Fringe this year, from what Ludlow saw, were: Butterfly Butterfly Kill Kill Kill (photo below) a kabuki-noir with film, live music and puppets.


Getting Even With Shakespeare invents a very funny world where the Bard’s title characters live on are are forced to endure every performance of their namesake plays and conspire against their creator. Terror Super Highway is a gritty, contemporary tale of an American everyman who is swept up in an investigation of terror financing and its consequences for both him and us. Miss Magnolia Beaumont goes to Provincetown is a sweet and funny solo show about a southern debutant trapped in the body of a thirty-something gay male - it’s better than it sounds! Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical is just plain silly - a musical version of the famous film, told from the dinosaurs’ point of view. Ludlow Lad laughed a lot.


And when you need a break from it all, just sit back and enjoy the thirty-minute stage pictures created during Ground To Cloud (photo above), some of which are even in 3D (glasses included).

Tickets and Info can be found for all Fringe shows at www.fringenyc.org.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Fringe 2010: Ghost of Dracula

After tweeting "WTF?" regarding Ghost of Dracula, Ludlow Lad received the following message:

We're thrilled our show garnered a "WTF?" from you! We are certainly one of the most off-kilter casts and crews in FringeNYC. Attached is our image, and we'd love if you could use it on your wonderful blog.


Here is the description of the show:

The bastard child of "Dracula" and "The Breakfast Club," with a lot more blood, and music. There's sex, rocket propelled grenades, and piss made of holy water. There's also a ghost vampire, or vampire ghost. Interchangeable terms? I don't know.


For tickets & info: Click Here

You've been warned...

Friday, July 16, 2010

Fringe Preview: The Altoona Dada Society Presents The Velvet Gentleman

Title: The Altoona Dada Society Presents The Velvet Gentleman

Company: Playlab NYC


Writer: Jon Steinhagen


Director: Kevin P. Hale


Blurb: The Altoona Dada Society makes its New York debut by presenting the unusual life of composer Erik Satie in an extravaganza the Blair County Little Nickel Weekly has called "...a description-defying, decidedly absurdist freefall."


Running Time: 1h 45m


Schedule: FRI 13 @ 9; MON 16 @ 3:45; TUE 17 @ 4; WED 25 @ 2; THUR 26 @ 9:15


Venue: #15: Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre


Info: www.playlabnyc.org

Tickets:
www.fringenyc.org

Friday, December 25, 2009

10 Favorites of 2009

Sixty Miles to Silver Lake by Dan LeFranc; directed by Anne Kauffman; co-production by Page 73 and Soho Rep (at Soho Rep)


SOS –created by Caden Manson and Jemma Nelson; Big Art Group (at The Kitchen)


Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson - Written and directed by Alex Timbers; music and lyrics by Michael Friedman; Les Freres Corbusier (at The Public)


Thirst(y) - (mostly) by Eugene O’Neill; directed by Michael Levinton; Target Margin Theater (at The Chocolate Factory)


The Event – written and directed by John Clancy; Clancy Productions/FringeNYC (at Players Theater)


In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) – by Sarah Ruhl; directed by Les Waters; Lincoln Center Theater (at Lyceum Theater)


Circle Mirror Transformation – by Annie Baker; directed by Sam Gold; Playwrights Horizons (at Peter J. Sharp Theater)


THIS – by Melissa James Gibson; directed by Daniel Aukin; Playwrights Horizons (at Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theater)


Brief Encounter - Adapted and Directed by Emma Rice; Kneehigh Theatre (at St. Ann’s Warehouse)


Romeo & Juliet - Conceived and directed by Pavol Liska and Kelly Copper; Nature Theater of Oklahoma (at The Kitchen)

*****

And very honorable mentions to: Gina Gionfriddo's BECKY SHAW at Second Stage, Nature Theater of Oklahoma's RAMBO SOLO at Soho Rep, Cynthia Hopkins' THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE (OR, THE FAILURE OF SUCCESS), Buddy Thomas' DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND at the Fringe and three past shows that I revisited this year and found that I loved them as much this year as the first time I saw them: Mabou Mines's DOLLHOUSE, Chicago's Hell in a Handbag's POSEIDON (AN UPSIDEDOWN MUSICAL) and Len Jenkin's THE DREAM EXPRESS.

Monday, August 31, 2009

2009 Fringe Encore Series Announced


The 2009 Fringe Encore Series has announced the shows that will get a second chance to wow NYC audiences. The Encore performances will take place at Soho Playhouse and Actor's Playhouse. For tickets and more info go to www.fringenyc-encoreseries.com.

SOHO PLAYHOUSE

Viral

Mon 14- 9pm
Sun 20- 1pm
Thu 24- 7pm
Sat 26- 2pm
Sun 27- 6pm

The Boys Upstairs

Thu 10- 8pm
Fri 11- 9:30pm
Sat 19- 7:30pm
Thu 24- 9:30pm
Sun 27-8:30pm

A Contemporary American's Guide to a Successful Marriage

Sat 12- 5pm
Sun 20- 8:30pm
Fri 25- 9:30pm
Sat 26- 5pm
Sun 27- 1pm

His Greatness

Thu 17- 7pm
Sat 19- 2pm
Sun 20- 3pm
Wed 23 - 3pm
Fri 25- 7pm

AND SOPHIE COMES TOO

Sat 12- 7:30pm
Sun 13- 6pm
Mon 21- 7pm
Wed 23- 8pm
Sat 26- 10:30pm

Complete

Tue 15- 8pm
Fri 18- 7:30pm
Sat 19- 5pm
Sat 26- 7:30pm
Sun 27- 3pm

Sex and the Holy Land

Fri 11- 7pm
Sat 12- 2pm & 10:30pm
Sun 13- 8:30pm
Tue 22- 8pm

Notes on the Land of Earthquake & Fire

Sun 13- 3pm
Wed 16- 8pm
Sat 19- 10:30pm
Sun 20- 6pm

The K of D, an urban legend

Mon 14- 7pm
Wed 16- 3pm
Thu 17- 9:30pm
Fri 18- 10pm

Jesus Ride

Fri 18- 8pm
Sat 19- 6pm
Sun 20- 3:30pm
Mon 21- 8:30pm

Dolls

Wed 16- 8:30pm
Thurs 17- 7:30pm
Thur 24- 8pm
Fri 25- 7:30pm
Sun 27- 6:30pm


ACTORS' PLAYHOUSE


DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND

Tues 15- 9:30pm
Wed 23- 9pm
Fri 25- 10:30pm
Sat 26- 10:30pm
Sun 27- 8pm

SINGIN' WID A SWORD IN MA HAN'

Performances TBA

MoM - A Rock Concert Musical

Thu 10- 10:30pm
Sat 12- 2pm
Sun 13- 7pm
Mon 14- 8pm
Mon 21- 9:30pm

Powerhouse

Sat 19- 5pm
Sun 20- 12:30pm & 6pm
Mon 21- 3pm

Zipperface!!?!: The Hobo Musical

Fri 11- 10:30pm
Sun 13- 2pm
Tue 15- 7pm
Fri 25- 7:30pm

Terranova

Wed 16- 9pm
Fri 18- 7pm
Sun 20- 3pm
Mon 21- 7pm
Tues 22- 7pm

Tales From The Tunnel

Fri 11- 8pm
Sat 12- 5pm
Thu 24- 10:30pm
Sat 26- 3pm
Sun 27- 5pm

Willy Nilly: A Musical Exploitation of the Most Far-Out Cult Murders of the Psychedelic Era

Thur 17- 10:30pm
Fri 18- 10pm
Sat 19- 2pm & 10pm
Sun 20- 8:30pm

Muffin Man

Wed 16- 7pm
Wed 23- 7pm
Sat 26- 6pm
Sun 27- 3pm

2009 Fringe Overall Excellence Awards


Outstanding Play
:
Viral
Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party
Devil Boys From Beyond

Outstanding Musical:
Mom - A Rock Concert Musical
Citizen Ruth

Outstanding Solo Show:
Art’s Heart
The Event
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer
Remission
Truth Values: One Girl’s Romp Through MIT’s Male Math Maze
Jesus Ride
The Songs of Robert

Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event:
Bullettrun
666
Baby Wants Candy

Outstanding Playwrighting:
Jason Schafer - Notes on the Land of Earthquake & Fire
Laura Schellhardt - The K of D
Mary Adkins - The 49 Project

Outstanding Direction:
Ben West - How Now, Dow Jones
Patrick McNulty- Harold Pinter Pair
Jeremy Dobrish - Dancing with Abandon
Bill Oliver - A History of Cobbling

Outstanding Costume Design:
Lisa Zinni - A Contemporary American's Guide to a Successful Marriage
Luke Brown - The Doctor and the Devils

Outstanding Actor:
Alyson Weaver - La Ronde
Autumn Hurlbert - A Contemporary American's Guide to a Successful Marriage
Ethan Downing - Confirmation
Colin DePaula - Mutti’s After Supper Stories
Ken Barnett - La Ronde

Outstanding Ensemble:
Two on the Aisle, Three in the Van
Powerhouse
Ether Steeds
Bargains and Blood (How To Succeed in Home Shopping!)

Outstanding Set Design:
Szu-Feng Chen - The Alchemist of Light

Outstanding Choreography:
Jody Oberfelder - 38 Witnessed Her Death, I Witnessed Her Love: The Lonely Secret of Mary Ann Zielonko (Kitty Genovese Story)
Patricia Norwol - Circuits

Monday, August 24, 2009

FringeNYC 2009 Recommendations - Part 2

Ludlow has two more Fringe shows to recommend:

  • Willy Nilly: A Musical Exploitation of the Most Far-Out Cult Murders of the Psychedelic Era - Trav S.D.'s hilarious musical send-up of Charles Manson and the events leading up to the gruesome murders that shocked 1960's America is given an outstanding production, directed by Jeff Lewonczyk. For info & tickets: www.fringenyc.org or www.pipermckenzie.com. Final Performance: Saturday 8/29 @ 8pm

  • John and Greg's High School Reunion - Greg Ayers and John Halbach wrote and star in this very funny take on two slackers reflecting on their high school experiences while anticipating their 10-year high school reunion. It's funny and smart and Ayers and Halbach each play about a half-dozen characters in this entertaining show. For info & tickets: www.fringenyc.org or www.johnandgreghsr.com. Final performances: Wednesday 8/26 @ 5:45pm and Saturday 8/29 @ 10:30pm.

Friday, August 21, 2009

FringeNYC 2009 Recommendations

With the 2009 Fringe at the half-way point, here are the shows I can personally recommend:

  • VIRAL: Mac Rogers' smart and creepy play about a woman who wants to commit suicide and the three people who want to help her...oh, and video tape it. Amy Lynn Stewart gives a tremendous performance! For tickets and info: www.fringenyc.org or www.viraltheplay.com.

  • CITIZEN RUTH: A musical adaptation of the brilliant film of the same name. Expertly directed with a very good cast that includes the wonderful Annie Golden! For tickets and info: www.fringenyc.org or www.citizenruth.info (you can listen to some of the music on the Citizen Ruth site!).

  • NOTES FROM THE LAND OF EARTHQUAKE + FIRE: Jason Schafer's good (if flawed) play is given an excellent production by Schafer himself, who also directs. Ian Scott McGregor gives a deep and varied performance as Chad, a Hollywood assistant. For tickets and info: www.fringenyc.org or www.earthquakeandfire.com

  • THE EVENT: Fringe founder John Clancy wrote and directed this one-person play that explores theater, the conventions of theater and the roles we all play. I've been a fan of Clancy's for years, but for me this is most mature and perhaps best work to date. BRAVO! For tickets and info: www.fringenyc.org or www.clancyproductions.com.
One week to go...

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

CITIZEN RUTH and the Minetta Lane Theater


Ludlow really enjoyed Citizen Ruth. It’s always been a favorite film and the music is, for the most part, very good. Knowing the film, it’s hard not to miss Laura Dern’s terrific performance – but Garrett Long does more than an honorable job. Annie Golden, Janet Dickinson and Sherri L. Edelen are all excellent and it is staged so tightly (by Howard Shalwitz) that the evening just flies by! This isn’t the last we’ll be hearing about this show.

Ludlow couldn’t help but be struck by the line of ticket holders stretching to MacDougal Street. When was the last time anything at the Minitta Lane Theatre had a line stretching down the block to get in? What is generating that much interest; is it that it’s a Fringe Show? Is it the $15 ticket price? Similarly, the line was almost as long for VOTE! on Friday night. Is it that there are only a handful of performances to catch? Are people hoping to catch “the next big thing” or taking advantage of a bargain. I’m not sure, but how can someone capture this excitement and use it again in say, October?
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