The Buzz – Reviews

The Shelter

Dark Horse Theatre—School of Contemporary Dancers

Dark Horse and the Fringe are essentially synonymous at this point. Traditionally humorous scripts are what we are used to from them and this is definitely a full turn. Yes there are some laughs but this “dark” tale needs to be told. Stand out performances by the entire cast but especially Dave Pruden and Caroline Schaab as the leads. Dave’s tale is heart wrenching and drives a point that needs to be discussed in this world today. There is so much heart in this script, and keeping this spoiler free you just need to SEE THE SHOW. I was at the jam packed 11am show, so get your tickets early because every single one going forward is going to be like this.

Joel Passante

The Ballad of Isobel Gunn

Possum Hollow Productions—PTE – Colin Jackson Studio Theatre

I love opera. That’s what drew me to Melanie Gall’s Opera Mouse (Kids’ Fringe many years ago) as my first exposure to her work. Since then, I’ve seen a number of Gall’s shows but she doesn’t sing much in the opera genre at Fringe Shows.

One of my favourite artists is Sarah Brightman. Yes, I first learned of her as the most famous lead in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, but it was her actual operatic works that really made her a favourite of mine. Then her career grew, and Brightman started fusing/crossing opera with folk and pop. I love it.

Today, Gall does much of the same idea, blending the soprano notes with the alto-based, folk-like songs. I love the power, depth, and extension of the notes, and when a soprano sings in alto, it’s like driving a high-performance engine and running at 2000 rpm. I want to hear the voice roar at 6000 rpm. With this performance, it was lovely to hear some of those notes come into play. I know she wasn’t even close to full projection today but still, it’s a lovely blending.

The storytelling doesn’t sparkle, but it’s competent. The music shines, and it more than carries the show. The songs are absolutely lovely and Gall reveals that it’s her first Fringe time using original work. This is my favourite Melanie Gall work yet. Brava!

Ray Yuen

69, Emil Amok: Less News, More Life. The Headlines Got Loud, So He Got Personal.

Emil Amok Productions—aceartinc.

One part political late-night stand up and another part personal life story of the son of two immigrants from the Philippines and his career in media bringing him all the way to the Winnipeg Fringe.

At the end of the day the humour and politics are within the sphere of your Kimmel’s, Colbert’s and Fallon’s, so if you’re a fan of those the show comes recommended and if you can’t stand them then this is one to avoid. Emil’s strong admiration of Canada also comes through, which is another good barometer depending on if you find that sort of thing engaging or grating.

Josh Fidelak

ONE MORE TIME

HonourablyUnstable—School of Contemporary Dancers

Satan is our host for a high-stakes game show where a cast of unwitting contestants compete for attention. The sketch-like characters are varied, each embodying a distinctly 21st-century personality flaw, and the game show format provides plenty of opportunities for comedy.

The production, however, is uneven. Hesitant line deliveries and occasionally confusing dialogue make it difficult to tell where the script ends and the improvisation begins. If much of the show is improvised, the cast would benefit from greater confidence; if it’s scripted, tighter rehearsals would help sharpen the pacing. The central premise is strong, but the middle sags, leaving obvious opportunities for callbacks and stronger comic payoffs on the table.

Themes of manipulation and autonomy are present throughout, but they don’t fully crystallize until they are literally shouted out at the end. As a result, the finale asks the audience to invest in a metaphor that never quite comes into focus. Some overly enthusiastic audience members, on the day this show was reviewed, often pulled focus from the performers, who ironically found themselves struggling periodically to reclaim control of the show.

Ashley Frantik

Oversharer

Einarson Productions—Son of Warehouse

I don’t have a lot to say here—everything in the program already explains what you’re going to get. My second time around in university, I Majored and wrote my Honours Thesis in Psychology. I knew quite a bit about ADHD already, well before the public was made much more aware of it like it is today. Everything we learned came from textbooks, journal articles, and the DSM (IV back then). Book learning is one thing, but to hear it from someone directly reveals much more.

I learned quite a bit about ADHD today, and I had a lot of fun doing it. Thanks, Kristen Einarson, and thanks for your “bravery” and “vulnerability.”

Ray Yuen

Hayden Maines: Emergency Ops!

Illustrium Creations—aceartinc.

A fun and tightly scripted comedy, back with a fresh coat of paint and the explicit focus on our singular actor Hayden Maines in marketing. Playing every member of a RMs emergency operations team, Hayden rapid fire changes out coloured safety vests and accents, arguing, cajoling and insulting other versions of himself to ironic effect, as he pokes fun at how similar each character looks and how the accents rapidly devolve into the absurd to maintain distinctness.

The office comedy is fun and Hayden has a lot of confidence in handling this concept, responding to set malfunctions with a smooth reset and improvised joke. Ultimately after having watched this in the past and despite the explicit focus on the aspect of every character being played by Hayden I still don’t see what it necessarily adds to the experience outside of, I suppose, admiring the skill and dexterity required to pull it off. But at the end of the day the jokes are funny, the script is snappy, and it is definitely an experience watching Hayden pull it off despite it all .

Josh Fidelak

Paper Fathers: Shadows and the Songs We Leave Behind

Tilted Hilton Productions—The Gargoyle Theatre

This lovely show deserves to be seen! Heartrending yet hopeful – and never approaching maudlin. It’s a personal story that could have ended in tragedy seamlessly blended with an historic one that does. It’s hard to believe this is Tim Hogue’s Fringe debut as a writer and solo artist because it’s so skillfully staged. And it’s so beautifully written there were collective audience gasps in response to his evocative words.

Audra Lesosky

Black Butterfly

Blackwestward Productions—John Hirsch Mainstage

The gorgeous costumes create the setting for the wonderful, sultry opening dance that ensues. The upbeat, fun and toe-tapping music preludes the readiness to launch into party time mode, in this case, the Festival of Lights.

After the Festival, the plot develops quite slowly; however and even though you know what’s going to happen, it takes a while to get there. They want to draw a Romeo and Juliet type of tragedy out of the plot, but I really couldn’t engage with it. After I saw Letters yesterday, I left the theatre feeling like someone punched me on the sternum. I don’t get that here, and I think a big part of it is, I’m still in “party mode.” The colours, the dance, and the music all put me into a “let’s have fun spirit,” and when the tragedy comes, I’m just not ready for it.

If you want a tragedy, you need to set a tragic ambiance (think of how you feel at the closing aria of Madama Butterfly). Even at the end of this play, I felt like dancing with friends outside on a hot night, by an open fire, drinking sauvignon blanc.

Ray Yuen

Human$

jurasco—Son of Warehouse

A passionate and deeply felt attempt at trying to tie together human history, our current state, and how to go from there to a better, more equitable and balanced tomorrow.

The structure of the show could definitely do with more texture, with the story moving steadily from a narration of human evolution and development into personal life stories into the political message the storyteller Wayne James was building up towards. Thankfully there was a spirited rendition of Willie Dunn’s protest song The Ballad of Crowfoot between the historical narrative and his personal one, but outside of that there were not a lot of flourishes to latch onto.

At the end of the day, I have to appreciate an earned Michael Parenti quotation, and I definitely can’t say that it’s an ill timed show, despite probably deserving of more polish.

Josh Fidelak

A Magician with Jordan Rooks

Rooks Entertainment Productions—Son of Warehouse

Las Vegas based touring magician Jordan Rooks brings a different kind of magic show to the Winnipeg Fringe. He tells his life story and folds in tricks to add to the story. He begins with how he got into magic, while showing a few of his first illusions, illusions that got him noticed by David Copperfield while just 13 years old. His story continues with his journey through magic and carries on to his relationship between himself and his father, and the influence of his mother.

Overall, a great blend of some great magic and a very interesting story in this self stated “behind the scenes look at what makes an artist”.

Murray Hunter