Everything Bagel

Full of laughs

If you love pop culture, this is for you! Michael makes us laugh about tacos, music, tv and more. He has a wonderful way with words and his props and staging added a lot to the fun!

Slamming good!

Do not let the poetry slam references keep you from seeing this show! Each poem (= story) was extremely well-crafted and skillfully and energetically delivered. If you were born in the last century or want to brush up on 1980's-1990's pop culture, this show is for you. Smiles throughout and sincere laughter per clever turns of phrases. Worth your time / the trip over to Strike.

So good you won't even know it's slam poetry

Mike tells stories so well and so naturally thst the internal rhyme and carefully crafted rhythm sneak up on you. Funny, sweet and we'll worth your time.

Appropriately Named!

Much like the aforementioned bagel, this show covers everything! Pop music, medical anomalies to an anguished muppet! All done with poetry, spoken word, obscure & fun facts by a gregarious storyteller that really brings you in! So much fun!

Wonderful production

This show is humor, nostalgia and candor wrapped in wit and wordplay. I've read his stories before but hearing them in his own voice brought them to another level. His delivery is honest, friendly and relaxed. As he goes through a poem, it's like a friend sharing his thoughts on a wide range of topics but then I start to notice the layers; a rhyming couplet here, some funky meter there or an oddly specific detail that I know is true, because I've thought it before and he just brought it to the forefront of my brain. Bravo, Mr. Shaeffer, bravo.

An intro to the 1990s and Poetry Slam

I'm definately a boomer, and was worried that the 1990 references - as well as the conept of poetry slam - would be lost on me, but not so at all! This was a delightful introduction to Poetry Slam with a variety of styles and references. Not particularly deep, but fun and relaxing. Recommended.

Excellent!

Michael is a expert storyteller and fun to watch. He connects with the audience through whimsical and often heart felt writing that most of us can relate to.

Mind Blowing Energy and Creativity

This was a long awaited new experience for me! Great energy, mind blowing use of language and the crafting of stories each unique in their own right , yet tied together magically with the final story. Favorite excerpts included: Harry Connick , Jr., The Greatest Year in Pop, and Everything Bagel. Michael’s delivery and timing were spot on! Thoroughly enjoyed this experience!

Wonderfully Poetic

I guess in my mind, I sort of assume poetry is all pretty and shit. This is not that. And it's all the better because it is not. If you want a taste of the show, check out the clip from the preview show on YouTube and then make a plan to see it yourself.

I laughed, I marveled, I felt every word

This review is from seeing show #2. In one sentence: this is 50 minutes of your really cool uncle telling you tales that sparkle while toeing taboo lines to teach you greater lessons. In three sentences: if you appreciate a wide breadth of pop culture, expert word-smithing, and watching a performance where a Fringer is super comfortable in their own skin, this show is for you. The few times music was used as background to pair with the poetry featured, it sometimes distracted from the messaging being shared. Yet that sprinkle for improvement does not supersede the crafty, taste-filled, charismatic performance display you'll receive from this Fringer, a veteran poet that all writing pupils should learn from.

playful poetry? please

review in haiku//urging you to see this show//you’ll be pleased you did

Fan Fiction meets Poetry Slam

This was so goofy and so fringe! This artist is up there enjoying the shit out of himself! It shows and makes the whole thing work! There was a sampling of poetry structures and pop culture references. He is comfortable in his skin and makes you comfortable in yours. I really enjoyed this.

Don’t miss this show!

Michael has crafted a wonderful show that has gravitas and guffaws, just the right amount of meat to cover the funny bone that is tickled with his wildly entertaining encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture, crafted into an hour of great entertainment through expert storytelling.

The glow of impish fun

I’ve been following Michael Schaeffer for several years, from Kansas City to Minnesota and even to Alaska, and he’s always been a bright light of joy on the Fringe Circuit. This year he brings is best show yet: a collection of slam poetry that explores the elaborate web of pop culture connections that have been winding through the hidey-holes in his head (and ours) for several decades. This year, he has broken the barrier of the written page and his conquest of memorization means that we get to bask in the glow of the impish fun that he shares, with no barriers keeping us from seeing the ideas pop as he plays with his words, ideas and twists of meanings. It’s a very fun hour of a very quirky vision.