Sub-Total
2018 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member:
Company: FredPictures
Show: The Breakfast Club: The Musical!
Venue: Southern Theater
Homage bleeding into imitation
There’s obviously a lot of love poured into this, and the cast does a great job of encapsulating their characters. However, this is rather stylistically off-putting. The piped in music just barely supports the singing (and again, the cast deserves a lot of credit for executing as well as they did); the highly repetitive lyrics get into almost baroque opera territory, making for a very odd combination. Although this advertises itself in the program and pre-show as “parody,” it’s more of an abridged version of the screenplay set to some questionable music. What’s enjoyable about it stems from the affection from both the adaptor and the cast.
Company: Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society
Show: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Versus the Nazis
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
My Bad Guy Has a First Name . . .
Two deep-dive gems, executed deftly by an accomplished cast. I love these shows, as a rule, and I particularly liked these two Nazi-smashing pieces for our times. I especially appreciate the inclusion of contextualizing material, even in the short Fringe format.
Company: Mainly Me Productions
Show: A Justice League of Their Own
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Persist!
The expected laugh riot from Josh Carson, though this one is a standout, with a concept that holds up well all the way through the end. The cast is great here, too. The only issue is the vocal challenges of Theater in the Round, especially with a joke-packed script and an enthusiastic audience.
Company: The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: Blood Nocturne
Venue: Southern Theater
Masterfully done
This is a show that’s fantastic in the short format, yet still makes one wish to see it in long form. The performers were amazing, the writing was excellent (and beautifully paced), the mix of narrative, playing with narrative devices, and music was just perfect. A definite must see.
Company: Comedy Suitcase
Show: Slapdash Panic: Comedy Suitcase ended up in the Fringe Festival with 3 weeks notice and no show!
Venue: Strike Theater
Why do they hate inner stage manager?
Patchwork, as promised, but they, of course, do a lot with a little. Enjoyed the creative recycling (that sounds Minnesota nice, but I mean it), and the peek behind the curtain of their process. The radio play was especially good (sorry/not sorry, Levi). Inner Stage Manager remains deeply skeptical of these two and their dangerous antics.
Company: Ghoulish Delights, LLC
Show: The Screaming Skull
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Good spookening
The staging (sound effects and lighting) are great (though a downstage cover on the “fireplace” would have minimized its tendency to distract). Webster’s performance is excellent, though as others have commented, it might’ve needed a bit of trimming.
Company: Weggel-Reed Productions
Show: Couple Fight: The Musical!
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
The Battle Over The Bulge
Couple fight is always a Fringe Highlight, but they’ve outdone themselves this year. The diversity of styles, fights, and couples keeps the show fresh and interesting from start to finish. ‘Rinth 4-Evah.
Company: Fearless Comedy Productions
Show: Deep in The 100 Acre Woods: A "Pooh"-dunnit?
Venue: Minnsky Theatre
Loving, twisted homage
There’s a lot of obvious love here from the creators, and much of the cast is quite good. The play itself has a lot of lag in places, and not everyone has a feel for the rapid-fire noir dialogue. But the costumes are great, and the genre mash-up works surprisingly well.
Company: Grand Island Theatre
Show: Hamlet, but Hamlet's a Chicken
Venue: Minnsky Theatre
No fowl puns here
This is wonderfully done on a number of levels. The handful of experimental misses are more than made up for by excellent “straight” performances that let the absurdity speak for itself.
Company: Custer & Schmidt
Show: Our Best Life
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Special Agent Nancy Anderson’s one-woman show
I am always carrying a watermelon to any Shanan Custer show, so although a surprise solo show was surely a nightmare for her, it was a decided delight for me. Thanks for not making it weird when the four of us in the back row gasped with fannish glee at the big finish. I’d only heard about it from friends and never dreamed I’d live it!