New York International Fringe Festival
August 2005
A production of The Present Company
Mini Reviews by Frank J. Avella

 

I was able to catch five percent of the New York International Fringe Festival this year (that’s 9 out of 180 shows), so the following overview is just a small sample of what the two-week event had to offer in 2005.

Ponzi Man--Sat, 13th @5PM -Produced by the always interesting Woman Seeking theatre group, Ponzi Man, written by Gary Morgenstein, offers the intriguing premise: what happens to a seemingly close-knit Jewish family when one if its members financially decimate their fortune. The play boasts a terrific supporting performance by Jane Purcell Dashow as the black sheep daughter, Alicia.

Caroline Liadakis'
Rollerskates and Mary Jane

Rollerskates and Mary Jane--Sun, 14th @7PM - Dynamic supporting turns seem to dominate this year’s Fringe. The otherwise forgettable coming of age drama, Rollerskates and Mary Jane features two standout actors: M. Kathryn Quinlan is wonderful in the quirky sister-part and the gifted Brian Townes paints a memorable portrait of the rarely-seen male variation on the unrequited teen-love theme.

Fleet Week, The Musical
Music by Sean Williams
Book by Mac Rogers
Lyrics by Jordana Williams

Fleet Week, The Musical--Sat, 20th@10:30PM Fleet Week The Musical, is a giddy, traditional book show about closeted gays at sea--with a terrorist plot twist. A mild diversion, the show contains a few impressive moments and an enthusiastic ensemble. The best number, by far, is ‘As God is My Witness’, performed by the odd, fascinating Micah Bucey. Sometimes maddening, always interesting, Mr. Bucey embodies this year’s Fringe feel to perfection.

Extra Virgin--Sat, 27th @9PM -The flip side of the silly spectrum can be found in the intense drama, Extra Virgin, written by Howard Walters. Featuring two powerhouse performances (Kevin Creamer & Jimmy King), Virgin grabs the audience with a graphic gay sex scene opening and does not relent until the heartbreaking climax. Only the ending proves disappointing. The play is about two severely damaged guys who hook up via a M4M chat room. The plot turns on the fact that the two share a disturbing past that only one remembers. Walters’ subject matter is provocative enough but the play never goes far enough in probing the sometimes uncontrollable sexual side effects molestation can leave on the victim. A lengthier version should be developed!

Jack Heifner's
Seduction

Seduction--Thurs, 18th @4PM - Seduction is an alluring, superbly directed, gay take on La Ronde and uses nudity in a refreshingly sexual way not seen very often in American stage plays. Of course, Seduction happens to be a British import.

Written by Jack Heifner (best known for the hit Vanities thirty years ago) the play is a series of ten vignettes about temptation. The most powerful and shocking revolve around the lengths men will go to in order to ‘get off’. The best and most bizarre sequence focuses on a lunatic writer, (hilariously played by scene-stealer Adam Blake) seducing a young teen (Phil Price in an adorable turn). All of the actors seem to have fun with their roles--especially Richard Gee as an over-the top, has-been actor. I wish the play had been as edgy as it was sexual, yet Seduction manages to avoid judging it’s characters and for that it’s to be applauded.

Charlie Barnett's
The Last Days of Cleopatra

The Last Days of Cleopatra--Fri, 26th @11:30PM - The most ambitious production I had the opportunity to see had the be The Last Days of Cleopatra, about the filming of the Joseph L. Mankiewicz epic and the love affair between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor that captured the scrutiny of the world back in the early 1960’s.

As I watched, I wondered how many audience members felt lost not knowing the ins and outs of this story. I happen to be a big fan of the film, so it was great fun for me...yet also caused great frustration when glaring mistakes in character were made by the book and lyric writer, Charlie Barnett. (Having Mankiewicz constantly yelp about wanting an Oscar when the man had already won four is one example, having the Taylor character sing about her world suddenly being about glamour and privilege when the former child-star’s world had, pretty much, ALWAYS been about that, is another!)

Cleopatra does have a lot to offer, dazzling dialogue, fun costumes, a nice ensemble and an especially bombastic and fantastic performance by Michael Deleget as Richard Burton. Deleget captures Burton’s cockiness to perfection. Also worth mentioning for their splendid acting work are Christopher Lacroix as Rex Harrison, Valerie Issembert as the fictional Bianca and the dead-on hilarious Michael Siller as Giuseppe, the ultimate Paparazzi piranha!

The songs themselves are a mixed bag with some being terrific (‘Just Stay Sober’, ‘Why Must They Go on Like This’ and, especially, ‘Ti Amo’) and some lackluster. Yet the most disappointing aspect of The Last Days of Cleopatra is the casting of Anna Roberts as Elizabeth Taylor. It is a misguided performance, over-the-top and cliche’, without any of the charisma of the real Liz. Roberts cannot be blamed entirely as the role is written one-dimensionally.

This is a musical I believe could really soar with some more work which is why I am so hard on it. It has all the makings of a bona fide hit.

Swimming Upstream
Music and Book by Marshall Pailet
Lyrics and Book by Al Pailet

 

Swimming Upstream, Sat, 27th @7PM - Swimming Upstream, on the other had, has a strange, disengaging premise and yet it’s an absolute delight! Featuring clever songs and a chorus of strong and dynamic singers (who can also act!!!), Upstream follows high school geek Todd (Doug Kreeger) as he attempts to write a musical about the life of a sperm starring his crush, Sally Jo (Jessica-Snow Wilson).

Kreeger and Wilson are fabulously talented as is the entire ensemble. Props specifically to Heath Calvert who is outrageously funny in a wedding veil!

Swimming Upstream is to be commending on a number of levels--originality first and foremost, followed by the fact that it’s actually damn good. Finally, the musical is written by Al and Marshall Pailet (book, music and lyrics) who happen to be father and son. Most fathers and sons don’t even speak to one another and this team actually create together. Now, if that isn’t impressive...

Dana Slamp’s
The Importance of Marrying Wells

The Importance of Marrying Wells--Fri, 19th @9:45PM - The best play I attended is Dana Slamp’s The Importance of Marrying Wells, a witting and charming homage to Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. This hysterically funny, modern day drawing room comedy is deftly directed by Nancy S. Chu and boasts a crackerjack cast headed by the amazing Michael Malone who could easily be sued for stealing every scene he is in. The rest of the talented team do their best to keep up, particularly Cheryl Lynn Bowers, Anthony Hagopian and Peter Macklin. This keen and imaginative play deserves an off-Broadway run.

Silence! The Musical
Music and Llyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan
Book adapted by Hunter Bell
From an original screenplay by Jon and Al Kaplan

Silence! The Musical--Sat, 20th @8PM - The MOST deserving entree that I had the yummy-good fortune to see, and hands down the best musical this year so far is Silence! The Musical.

A smart, side-splitting parody of the Academy Award winning film Silence of the Lambs (as well as the novel), Silence! follows the film’s plot rather faithfully -- and skewers it rather mercilessly. And therein lies the fun.

To fully appreciate the extraordinary job the creative craftsmen have accomplished audience members should have seen the film at least once. But what self-respecting, savvy New Yorker hasn’t seen it?

The musical opens with a chorus of human lambs (yes, lambs) singing the haunting and hilarious title tune as Clarice (Jenn Harris) jogs (a la Jodie Foster) by --setting the satire bar pretty high. That bar is blown into the stratosphere with the appearance of Hannibal Lector (Tommy Tony-nominee Paul Kandel) and his first ballad, ‘If I Could Smell Her C---,’ accompanied by Clarice and co. dancing an off-color ballet. Some may take offense at the vulgarity of the song, but it’s taken directly from the film, it advances the plot, shows insight into Lector’s mind AND is a damned funny power ballad. If we can adore Mel Brooks’ ‘Springtime for Hitler’ in The Producers we should be able to embrace the already notorious C-word song.

Kudos to the creators for not allowing the pressure of the censorial atmosphere in our country to sway them towards more ‘family-friendly’ lyrics. Yuck!

The score (by Jon and Al Kaplan) is exciting and affecting with Lisa Howard’s rousing tour-de-vocal-force ‘Catherine’s Her Name’ bringing down the house. It’s an astonishing moment and Howard claims it.

Buffalo Bill’s songs are appropriately inappropriate and wicked and Stephen Bienskie delivers them with nasty glee.

Silence! isn’t perfect. Parody does run the risk of wearing itself out (at 90 minutes that hardly happens here) and the book and lyric writers spend far too much time on predictable fat jokes...but that’s being nitpicky.

The production is brilliantly directed by Christopher Gattelli (Altar Boyz) and the cast is pitch perfect beginning with the chillingly creepy Paul Kandel and the dynamite dead-on Jenn Harris who has stamina and speech slurs to spare. These two splendidly pay homage to their cinematic counterparts, Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.

The entire Silence! team kicks Lamb ass! With a little tweaking and provided they can legally lampoon the original sources, Silence! should have a long life...beyond the Fringe...