Songs Without Words (or, The Mendelssohn Play)

Food for the Soul

Not since Jodie Comer performed Prima Facie has a solo performer gripped an audience like Jennifer Vosters does in this piece. Her energy and pacing is absolutely electric, elevating an already beautiful script into a soaring melody that filled her venue with beauty and emotion with every glance. Her passion for the complicated characters and relationships she's portraying is absolutely radiant throughout the entirety of a brilliant and unforgettable hour

*Spoiler in text* Unforgettable

Spoiler in text* As a pianist, actor and stroke survivor, I was moved to tears by this brilliant show. I remember the terror of temporarily losing the functioning in my left hand and wondering if I would ever play piano again. This performance brought me back to that fragile but life changing moment. I was going to see another show after this one, but felt so utterly complete and wanted to sit with the story and how it resonated with me into the rest of the night. THAT is what we want from theater. Jennifer Vosters has, down to her very fingertips, created a masterpiece of her very own. This show will stay with me for years and years to come. Thank you.

Powerfully moving

Getting to see this play was the highlight of my night! Impressive to see how just simple changes was able to make it clear when she was playing as Fanny or as Felix. Learning how each of them approach music and the different lives they got to live was deeply fascinating. I couldn’t help but be moved to tears by the end of the show. A powerful experience that I’ll remember for years to come, an absolute must see!

A hidden gem of a touring artist!

Really into how the research and care comes through here. Polished production, great tech and a focused, contrasting performance from a dynamic performer. Put it on your list!

Great performance

This was one of the best one-person shows I've seen at the Fringe after many years of attendance. The narrative was excellent and the performance was superb.

This one is already the talk of the Fringe

But I will second, third, and fourth everyone in town. I added both Mendelsohns to my Spotify playlist after this because she left me feeling so connected to these two people, both of whom she portrayed so skillfully.

This breaks the kitty scale

10/5 kitties. She deserves the entire litter. I can confidently say that this was one of the greatest one-person shows I’ve see firsthand - and not just at the Fringe, but ever. The discipline and precision with which Vosters utilizes her craft is captivating. It’s one right that I felt I was watching a master at work as she provided a tribute to two masters in their own right. I left this show in tears and had to swallow a heavy sob lest I make a fool of myself in the Rarig X. Bravo maestro.

Amazing talent

Jennifer Vosters is an extremely talented performer, and this is one of the Top-5 solo performances I have ever seen at Fringe. I did take off a half of a kitty because I thought the actual content of the show was a bit dry, even for someone who took music theory and has played Mendelssohn's pieces as part of an orchestra, but overall, it was an extremely powerful and well acted show!

A tour de force of staging and acting

Even if you don't know Mendelssohn (or more correctly, "the Mendelssohns") from, say, U2, put this on your list anyway. The acting and use of music in this score are beyond fantastic. Jennifer so dominated the stage, that when we saw her later in the evening at another Fringe work, we didn't even recognize without her stage presence.

Magnificent and moving

This show features a beautifully written script about the sibling composers Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, with one woman playing both characters. It is a tour de force, but not in a flashy way — simple, subtle choices make us aware which Mendelssohn she is playing at any moment. It’s a meditation on creativity, gender, and sibling rivalry that is constantly engrossing and ultimately moving.

Get Tickets While You Still Can!

This out-of-town performer nearly sold out her first show at 10 PM on a Thursday, and rightfully so! Not only is the writing seamless in its weaving of the several themes throughout the show , but Jennifer Vosters performance is seamless as she inhabits both siblings throughout the show. Powerful, humorous, and moving. Catch it if you can!

Beautiful

I was sold on this play from the preview. The performance was incredible! Jennifer Vosters shifts between both Fanny and Felix so smoothly and so clearly, I admired the way she was able to differentiate between the two characters in pure physicality. For someone who doesn't know anything about classical music, I was fascinated by the story and felt deeply for the characters. One of my favorites this year.

The best one-person show I’ve ever seen.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jennifer is one of the most polished actors I have ever seen. She seamlessly transitions between Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn with a simple theatrical convention. Her deep love of the material is evident and must have taken her dozens of hours of research. You may think that a play about two 19th-century classical composers sounds like a snooze fest - it is anything but. I know very little about their compositions, and I am not even a fan of classical music. That doesn’t matter to enjoy this work. It was funny and poignant and brought me to tears. I don’t give 5 Kitty ratings lightly- I gave 0 Kitties to the last show I saw. I am a brutally honest critic. She received a standing ovation, and it was deserved. Bravo! Encore!

Flawless, unforgettable work

This is a powerhouse performance, sailing through pin-point precise transitions and turns, exploring duality and juxtaposition in a brilliant way. The execution is mind-boggling… tight and controlled, yet raw and teeming with life. I was locked in from the very first gesture and never wavered in my awe and delight!

The Next Lauren Gunderson?

Songs Without Words is a masterclass in storytelling. Its simplicity and heart, with notes of humor made one incredible evening. Jennifer Vosters seamlessly shifts from Fanny and Felix with ease, never once confusing the audience of who is who and when. The writing gives enough exposition and introduction without bogging down the story, and the sprinkles of fun facts about these two people never felt forced. The only negative thing I have to say about this production is that it ended too soon. I could’ve listened to these two peoples’ stories for hours.

An eloquent masterpiece of solo performance

Jennifer Vosters has composed a masterpiece with this deeply involving one-woman show about the profound bond between two extraordinarily gifted musicians. This is a Must-See show, according to PiPress critics: https://www.twincities.com/2025/08/01/fringe-review-songs-without-words-is-a-eloquent-masterpiece-of-solo-performance/

The hype undersells this.

I am rarely at a loss for words, but I was after this show. Dazzling doesn’t do it justice. Ms. Vosters puts on a tour de force of acting; the transitions between the two characters are remarkably subtle while being instantly apparent. The shifts between humor and pathos are smooth and sure, and a potentially niche or dry subject becomes so fleshed out and alive it’s almost painful. I didn’t think sheet music was going to be the best used prop I saw this Fringe, but here we are. This is what theater can be, and it was a privilege to get to see it. I’d only temper my recommendation to see it with a caution that the last show is sold out, so getting one of the remaining held tickets is your only option here. Please do not go feral in the box office line.

The Soul of the Mendelssohn Story

Thank you Jennifer Vosters for bringing Fanny, Felix and Mendelssohn music alive last night. The performance touched my heart and moved me profoundly. I loved the history, the music, and the deep dive into sibling love, and family and community pressure. I will likely spend the next few days listening to Mendelssohn with new appreciation.

Standing ovation

I would give Song Without Words 10 kitties. I can't recall another Fringe show that got a standing ovation. This one did. A beautiful story about the Mendelssohn siblings, their music, and their relationship. Fannie's husband was a good guy - seeing his wife's talent, how music feeds her souls, and supporting her. The Saturday afternoon show was sold out. If you want to see this, make a reservation or get in line early.

Wow, just wow

I don't think Jennifer needs another 5-kitty review to get people to come to this amazing show. But I was simply blown away. Hands down the best thing I saw this year, in an excellent fringe season. She is one to watch!

Powerful performance

This show is jaw-dropping amazing. Unless your jaw is clenched to help hold in tears of joy or loss—Jennifer Vosters invokes both in her genius biographical portrayal of two musical masters. There are, in fact, "songs without words"; but mostly there are words: spoken in character and with such clear purpose and raw emotion you will get swept away. There are not enough kitties to rate this show properly.

Breathtaking and absorbing

Jennifer Vosters totally embodies these characters and will leave you breathless from start to finish. Incredible acting and writing.

Betrayal, Resurrection, & Requiem

Betrayed by her father, who could not accept and encourage Fanny Mendelssohn's extraordinary talents beyond the social norms expected of women of her day, was bad enough. The betrayal by her younger brother, Felix, who was inspired by his older sister who co-created as equals when younger, was beyond devastating. Like a prophet not accepted in her own land, Fanny and her artist husband had to move beyond the confines of her youth to experience resurrection enabling Fanny to hear her own music with and beyond her soulmate brother. Whether a stoke of genius or a cacophony of sound seizing the day, both are brain injuries, which is why I found this show especially meaningful as a person who has survived various Traumatic Brain Injuries. Jennifer Vosters was absolutely brilliant in her portrayal of these siblings and the music they wrote and conducted. Both the subtle placement and piercing use of the conductor's baton, to free and to restrict each of them was poetic. Thank you, Jennifer for your artistry in bringing their artistry alive beyond death. Disability Warning: I learned something new tonight. The flashing amber lighting from the closed captions screen caused significant pain to me, enough that I would have left if it did not mean crossing into the performance space. I am very grateful to have gone to the opening night of this show, but if other audience members experience debilitating migraines or other neurological challenges, you might consider skipping closed caption shows or bringing aids and medications.

Just Wow!

This performance was incredible. There were moments that I recall thinking- ah yes- art isn’t all wacky and experimental, it can be deeply moving and subtle. This show explores feminism with bursts of creative passion. When she stood up and described a scene with the music I could hear it! This was very well done!!

Fanny or Felix

I'm a sucker for any show about classical music (or literature or Shakespeare or art). This beautiful performance includes stories and musical reflections about the lives of two 19th century German composers (Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn) who truly share one soul. We hear the works of both composers and the stories of their lives and deaths. Fanny's work was mostly lost or credited to her brother. In the last few decades, she's started to get credit for her own work and I'm glad of that. The intimate Rarig X is the perfect location for this production.

Can I give 6 kitties?

I have seen many hundreds of shows in two decades of devoted fringing. This is among the very best solo shows I’ve ever seen. Storytelling at its finest, deftly delivered, emotionally compelling, and unforgettable. Don’t miss it.

You must see this show

I was basically stunned when this show was over. I cried multiple times, and more than half the time it wasn't even the content of the show (although there were many moving moments in the story) -- I was just crying with joy about how good the show was. There are so many things I could say, but the least spoiler-y is: it would have been enough that the writing was brilliant and beautifully done, but the acting was just as precise, well-crafted, deeply emotional, evocative, and mesmerizing as the writing. I am so grateful that I was tipped off that I needed to make this show a priority and buy a ticket rather than doing artist rush to make sure I saw it. I strongly suspect it's going to sell out now, so if you're reading this review, run don't walk to see if there are any tickets left!! The level of artistic joy I experienced while watching this show was truly soul-nourishing, and I wish that for everyone. I would be delighted if Jennifer Vosters came back to do a full run of this show here in the cities. I would tell everyone I know to go see it!

Astonishing, Truly

This show has left me in tears and near speechless. Jennifer brought so much power to this story, while projecting it onto the story of womanhood, and women everywhere and through time. I think this was the first Fringe show I've ever seen a standing ovation. It was richly deserved. Thank you, Jennifer, for bringing us this beautifully researched and told story.

Heartwarming and heartbreaking

Never did I think I would find myself caring for two German composers that I'd (unfortunately) never heard of, but Jennifer Vosters did just that. Though I live and break the status quo every day, this piece helped show me even more that when the world says you shouldn't pursue your dreams because its not what you're made for, to do so anyway. Family is important, but they aren't always right. Keep creating, keep loving, and keep being free. Thank you, Jennifer, for the tears I shed tonight.

Sensational

This piece is a masterclass in storytelling. Exceptionally researched but never bogged down by its scholarship, the narrative is gripping and always compelling. Stupendously performed with tight physical shifts, Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn are brought to you vividly, sympathetically, and beautifully by a genuinely marvelous performer. An absolute (and I don’t use this lightly) must-see of this year’s festival.

Outstanding

A perfect piece of theatre, excellent in every way.

Brilliant

What a brilliant piece of theater, and an unparalleled performance . The command and the intensity of Jennifer's performance is profound, it's a complex story, beautifully told. And, it fills you with awe to watch her commander of the content, the characters, the stage and a baton!

Such an amazing talent.

I was so impressed with the dedication to both characters and the flawless way Jennifer passed from.one to the other. Definitely one of the best shows at this Fringe. Go see it, even if you don't think you like classical music.