The Buzz – Reviews – 2015

Rumble Pak Returns

Rumble Pak—Eckhart-Grammetté

While the point of the show was to be all over the place and shift from scene to scene, it almost felt too all over the place.

The boys were funny certainly, and they act well together, but they seemed distracted, and as an audience member it’s hard to keep track of a show when it’s constantly shifting and slightly unclear.

In a sense, though, I liked it. It felt like they were playing. They used the entire theatre, and it was easy to be charmed by the show.

Arden Pruden

From Broadway to Obscurity

Winnipeg Studio Theatre—PTE Mainstage

Where do you go after Broadway? After being cast in the lead of Jersey Boys, the only way is up…or…obscurity?

Why walk away from success when you spent so much time to get to Broadway and have dealt with rejection after rejection at audition calls? Is the Fringe the end? Is it Winnipeg now or bust?

The singing is superb, so go and hear Eric sing and tell his story.

Frank Martin

The Mystery of Krummhorn Castle…

Kiss the Giraffe Prods.—MTC Mainstage

This presentation has everything you want in a musical, including some of the best props ever seen at the Fringe. The songs are fun and catchy, the heroes are adorable, and the villains are charismatic. What more could you want?

Oh yeah, monsters—and they’re cute, too. Throw in some quirky humour and they have you engaged for the entire ride.

While the main characters all have powerful vocals, some of the minor characters are a bit weak and hard to hear in the back rows. If you want to catch all the lyrics, stick to the front half of the theatre.

Ray Yuen

The Birdcage

Crosswalk Productions—Warehouse

Considering where this play originates from, it had some enormous shoes to fill. How do you top Nathan Laine’s and Robin William’s performances in the classic film? While I wouldn’t go in expecting anything new (especially if you’ve seen the movie a few hundred times like I have), I would expect to see a production with a lot of heart, and a good integration of local drag performers that made the show seem a lot closer to home.

Expect fun classic drag numbers and a few hearty laughs, courtesy of the very flamboyant live-in maid.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Tape

The 28th Minute—Asper Centre (U of W)

I was hooked on this show right from the get-go—really strong actors in a believable story that I could definitely understand.

Towards the end of the play however, things started to get a little muddled. It seemed like the actors weren’t certain of what they were trying to say, and the show boiled down to miscommunication as a plot device.

It certainly felt like 75 minutes, especially, towards the end of the show, and so much of it felt like it was padding out the runtime to be able to advertise a 75-minute show.

The actors were believable, the direction was very good, but it really needed an editor for those last 20 minutes.

Arden Pruden

Ain’t True & Uncle False

ManDamsel and FellaLady—Cinematheque

A wacky world woven from words; that’s what Paul Strickland invents and delivers. Trailer Park tales with just enough logic to have you nodding your head, and then shucks, there they are on stage, Uncle True with his wonky eye, Poppa Ganda, Ma Ganda, the Siamese twins who were one year apart in age, and the black-eyed pea factory with it’s own way of processing, canning, and marketing.

And that’s to say nothing about the hills and valleys that make a life, and the flat line that you want to avoid with its one note promise of a full stop. Only that doesn’t stop the stories from being told and passed down.

Fringe means edge and edgy and Strickland will take you there and back if’n you’re willing to go.

Ron Robinson

The Sama Kutra

Jacqueline Russell—MTC Up the Alley

If there is one thing I regret it’s that I saw this show at 12 noon on a Thursday. This is definitely a show to see in the evening.

The two performers are excellent clowns, and their comedic timing is amazing as they stumble their way through trying to save their marriage through sex.

Just be prepared to have things thrown at you.

Arden Pruden

ESSENTIA

Hacault and Crist Prods.— R. Browne (Crocus Bldg.)

I love watching dance shows for several reasons: the dance is beautiful, the choreography is beautiful, the dancers are beautiful, and the music is beautiful.

Not here—one of the opening pieces sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard and it seems like an eternity before that number ends. For several minutes I couldn’t connect with the movement because of the sound.

The second piece captured my attention much better. While the show is enjoyable, it’s not up to the standards of other truly engaging and ethereal pieces.

Ray Yuen

The 11 O’Clock Number

Grindstone Theatre—MTC Up the Alley

An improvised musical is a daunting task, and when a group promises an hour long one, you tend to take it with a grain of salt.

But this group delivers. They have incredible comedic timing, and are completely in sync with their pianist. They quickly craft an hilarious musical out of the life of someone in the audience and the chemistry between the cast, the pianist, and even the tech is fantastic. Hard to be unimpressed when you see an improvised 5-part harmony.

Arden Pruden

Mr. Flannery’s Ocean

Shoestring—MTC Up the Alley

A sleepy ocean-side guesthouse in the south of England is the setting for this funny and heart warming production, Mr. Flannery’s Ocean, by Winnipeg’s own Shoestring.

As the self-proclaimed owner of the ocean, the cranky, crusty, and crude Flannery fiercely protects his beloved waters. It is only with the appearance of new houseguests that we learn of his true spirit and commitment.

The strong, opening night attendance reflects the consistently, excellent productions we have come to expect from this well-seasoned company.

Do not wait to get your tickets to this well crafted and beautifully acted show.

Richard & Karen Howell