Over-the-Rhine

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Written by John Olive, based on the novels by Louis Sachar.

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We're getting ready for the
2010 Cincinnati Fringe Festival!

Are you?
JUNE 1 - 12, 2010

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Cincinnati Ballet's season opener, New Works, is a great introduction to Ballet for the arts fan who wants to explore an art form new to them. Last night's opening was an extra special event with live music from world class musicians all from Cincinnati.

CityBeat has announced great news that on Sunday August 30th the 13th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards will be presented at a hip club, showcasing the best of Cincinnati Theatre. The CEAs are Cincinnati's longest running theater awards program, using votes from the public and from established theater critics to determine winners in 20 different categories. Everyone had a great time last year at BELOW ZERO LOUNGE (1122 Walnut Street, Over-the-Rhine, www.BelowZeroLounge.com) and the 2009 event is back.

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CityBeat has announced great news that on Sunday August 30th the 13th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards will be presented at a hip club, showcasing the best of Cincinnati Theatre. The CEAs are Cincinnati's longest running theater awards program, using votes from the public and from established theater critics to determine winners in 20 different categories. Everyone had a great time last year at BELOW ZERO LOUNGE (1122 Walnut Street, Over-the-Rhine, www.BelowZeroLounge.com) and the 2009 event is back.

I may have a secret admirer. How else do you explain the five jars of sliced pimentos neatly arranged by my steps this afternoon?

If anyone can explain this gift or has pimento recipes to offer, I'd be interested in either/both.

My favorite thing about opera is actually the pre-opera crowd that gathers in the lobby of Music Hall just before the show.

It's one of the last places in Cincinnati where people get dressed up. Really dressed up. Tuxedo, yes. Jeans & flip-flops, no.

My second favorite thing about last night's performance of Ainadamar was Jesus Montoya's solos. He doesn't have many things to say so he makes them count.

Third was Jesus' costume change at the end during the applause. It's subtle but you'll know what I mean if you go on Saturday.

The Pick of the Fringe for 2009 were announced last night and here are the winners:

Audience Pick
Gravesongs

Critic's Pick
7(x1) Samurai

Producer's Pick
Empire of Feathers

When Thumping Techno-music plays an omniscient yet emotionally flawed character, what else could you want? Kazoos? You got it. Hats? There are some of those. Boxes? Lots of those.

"April Fools" by Four Humors Theatre is a conceptual romp that explores comedy, poetry, music, and takes big chances. The payoff is in the unexpected. There is a loose narrative here that takes a back seat to expression. At times they go for a laugh, at other times the laughs just creep up on them for no apparent reason.

Writing drives "The Success Show" from Finite Number of Monkeys, and the script by Michael Comstock is force that puts the the You in You-niverse. The setting is a self help seminar and we are served up a satirical spoof worthy to be compared to early SNL or SCTV. The structure of the show puts the audience member inside the seminar right from start where you are greeted and asked to make a name tag. I was "Bob". I wanted to remain anonymous. My Fringe Media Pass had my name on it, but I wanted to keep everyone guessing.

Post-Post Reconstructed Modern Feminism is the best way I can describe the tone of "Assholes And Aureoles" from InterAction Theater, Inc. It's pronounced like the bird "orioles" in case you were wondering.

No, I just made up that form of feminism because I have no other way to describe a show with vignettes about rape, life in a women's shelter, and pedophilia. If you can see the humor that be found in those topics, then this show is for you. It makes you laugh, but you feel a little bit bad for laughing. Then you feel stupid for feeling bad, etc.

So, one week into the festival, I have a series of personal notes. Read on--if you don't mind navel-gazing.

I had a realization while I was doing Call Me. (Note I said "doing" since Call Me is a participatory show.)

Until this show, I have never done a participatory show. Never seen Nick and Tina's Italian Wedding or been to a participatory whodunnit, nothing.

So, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Travel and Where Drunk Men Go: A Poem with Music have very little in common, except one key thing...each had more audiences where over half the crowd had not yet seen a Fringe show. This makes sense, of course, as dance and poetry have their own following, so they would attract a less "fringe" audience.

A raucous satire of motivational speakers, The Success Show is simply one of the funniest shows of the festival.

It's tought to review a comedy that you really liked--how do you demonstrate that it's funny? By ruining the best jokes of the show by repeating them in your review?

I would do anything for the Conveyor, but I won't do that.

I will say, however, that this Powerpoint-based show had the audience rolling up to the end--and it's one of the can't miss shows. It's one of the best of the festival.

So, if you do a satire and your opening night crowd responds with "gales of laughter", is your show a success?

Not if you're the reviewer from CityBeat.

This is called missing the point.

My audience laughed throughout. Apparently, every audience is laughing.

If you like dark comedy and aren't offended by religious satire, you'll laugh. Again, and again.