Sub-Total
2023 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Kirk Johnson
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Company: Snikt! Bamf!Thwip!
Show: John Wick by Tim Wick (no relation)
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Best show I saw this year!
I've not seen any of the John Wick movies, but part of the charm was that most of the important things were all explained. In fact, there are many narrative moments, and they're hilarious. Not only was the writing and creativity really good, but it actually makes me want to see the John Wick movies. Well acted also. Definitely go see this on Sunday!
Company: What's Next Productions
Show: Pillow Talk
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
A nicely Fringe-y show
This was one of those Fringe shows where you walk in expecting one thing, and see something quite different. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it comes off like someone had a long, strange acid trip and wrote it out afterwards. This was the former, thankfully. ;) Did I think that this would be more sexy and less horror/supernatural? Yes. Was I sure I knew what was going on all the time? No. Did I have a good time? Yes. Slight deduction for the very brief (about 30-35 minutes) length. But they said all they had to say and there's nothing wrong with ending there.
Company: Downton Productions
Show: Reception
Venue: Augsburg Studio
Smartly written, funny, and well-acted
The title pretty much says it all. This show resulted in some hearty laughter. While you may not need to know the star wars story, it certainly makes it a lot funnier as some of the jokes are specific to that. Overall both my girlfriend and I thought that the actors did a good job...while some of the humor was a little over the top, they didn't write it, and it is emblematic of some of the sitcoms you see today, and I could see some of those actors doing as good a job as the professionals I see on those shows. The story was very engaging, and managed to work in the different characters quite nicely, melding some of the funny jokes/themes with some more serious life ideas. Which is exactly what I wanted from this show. Not every show has to be a complete surprise walking into it, or be confusing, hard to follow, or otherwise off the wall. This show delivers exactly what it set out to.
Company: Gnarly Bard Theater Company
Show: Tales from the Fiefdom
Venue: Southern Theater
A fun show with some creative songs
This was a good show that had some original songs that were fun. It didn't have a cohesive theme, but in fairness it is called "tales" from the fiefdom. There isn't a particular cohesive thread that runs through them other than hard times in medieval times. There is a fun physical gag, and some other amusing songs, and overall it's just a fun romp in medieval costumes. I wouldn't call most of it laugh uproariously out loud, but there's nothing wrong with that...especially for someone with a short attention span like me, it's nice to go from sketch to sketch. My only criticism was the background music was a little loud and some of the singers' voices got lost a little in a couple of the songs. It might have been better if we were in the first couple of rows, but we were only about 1/3 - 1/2 back from the front seats, and so others must have had it worse.
Company: Berlin Productions
Show: Kill Me, Too
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
My girlfriend will never let me pick another show
So first, I saw the postcard that said "a musical comedy...a rocker, an architect, a veteran and an impresario join forces..." but this is a one man show, and I'm not sure anyone could classify this as a "musical comedy" in terms of its style. So its description was a little confusing/misleading...if I were to see a one man show, which I typically don't want to, this wouldn't be it. I hate giving one star, because I hate the idea of someone putting their soul into creating something and someone like me coming and shitting on it because they don't get it. So I didn't do that. This is I am fairly sure the show I liked least in the 12 years I've gone to fringe shows. It really was just a one man show. I don't want to give away too much, in case you do go see it, against my advice and the advice of the two other reviewers (and there were only 16-ish people at it, and it was the first showing, so I was there with you guys), but it is a bit of a stereotypical diatribe from an "anti-woke" perspective, but it includes a lot of tangents that seem to have nothing to do with the real story, as well as a lot of repetition of facts that had been recited already. To me, it was almost as if someone dared themselves to do a fringe show but not create it in advance and do it stream of consciousness. Except that at times he seemed to miss a line or something and go back and correct himself, which isn't indicative of making something up on the fly. But it had that feel to it. You've been warned...if you're a masochist, go for it.