Fringe Full of Stars - Thursday, August 21, 2025 - Peter Pan, Opera, A White Tiger and Jeopardy!

Quiz Icarus

This was definitely a show for ME! As many of you know (maybe you don't, but if you follow me on Instagram - you KNOW) I am a big Trivia buff. My husband and I (and sometimes my youngest son) play trivia on a regular basis - minimum twice a week, but sometimes more. We're also BIG Jeopardy fans and we PVR it daily to watch together and have done so for years. We also have a big place in our hearts for anyone on Jeopardy who is from Canada. So, about the show, Nam and Aaron are two Canadians who got on Jeopardy in the last few years and they were telling their stories about their love of Jeopardy, and all things Trivia and the lengths that they (and many others) went to in order to prepare for "The Show!" Each had a slightly different journey and different outcomes, but I was captivated by their Boot Camp recollections and thoroughly wowed by the name-dropping (Mattea! Juveria! OMG!!). As an avid viewer I remembered both of them, particularly Aaron's episode. Anyhow, in a dream-come-true moment, I got to go onstage and participate in a 10 minutes Jeopardy round. I did not win - I knew answers, but it is very much a buzzer game and my buzzer game sucked. The other audience member participating did win and got $100. I was jealous... the guys didn't even want a picture with me afterwards like they did with Sarah... That's the difference between a player and a champion, I guess... But I still had a lot of very nervous fun! 

Paloma and Joy

This production by Whizzgiggling was a bit different from their past few shows - a little darker and more serious as it explores the exploitation of foreign workers through the use of a German white tiger (Magda - played by Kristin Johnston) brought into the tired magic act of Paloma (Cheryl Jameson) and Joy (Michelle Todd). Paloma is the big bully of the two, but the dimmer Joy doesn't really help things. The play culminates with a near fatal attack after Paloma pushes things too far. I guess if you are going to poke the tiger, so to speak, it's important to understand that at some point they might poke back. There's a terrific opening sequence from Jameson and Todd, a fantastic cabaret song performed by Johnston, and all three actors commit fully to their roles. It makes you think. 

Peter Pan Cometh

I'd been waiting for this show and it did not disappoint! It's Peter Pan meets Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and the the juxtaposition is wild. I am not as familiar with Iceman as I am with Long Days Journey into Night (Peter Pan is a no-brainer - I was in the musical years ago!), so I read the wikipedia article before seeing the show. The man in front of me watched the 4 hour movie version before coming. I don't know if you need to be that prepared. It's surprisingly fitting, and those surprises make you laugh and lock in. I was totally engaged from the moment it began. Very smart and clever, and well-acted and directed, and these folks clearly know their stuff when it comes to creating an out-of-the-box theatrical experience. Go see it! 

Dressing Requiem

I don't usually go to the opera at Fringe, but the title was recommended a few times to me during Word of Mouth chats so I thought I would check it out. There's some fine singing in this show who's premise is that the show is cancelled and the cast decide to reminise their favourite songs as they wrap up the dressing room. This allows the cast to share a greatest hits of Opera for the audience. My favourite performances were Udite (Donizetti), Vilia (Lehar), Habanera (Bizet) and the final number, Nessun Dorma (Puccini). 

I am taking today off and then tomorrow, Saturday, will be my last day! I hope you all have a terrific final weekend of Fringe Full of Stars!

Word of Mouth - Fringe Full of Stars - Wednesday & Thursday (Aug 20 and 21)

It's Two Days Worth of Word of Mouth, because I was so tired on Wednesday evening that I didn't get them posted! THe good news is, I have a lot of new titles that might give you some cool ideas for the last weekend of Fringe! So take a chance on one or two of these shows that friends and random strangers told me about!

Word of Mouth

Wednesday, Aug 20 & Thursday, Aug 21st, 2025!

1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery
Rat Academy 2
Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things
Carole of the Belles
Flora & Fawna Face Their Fears
The Witches
Jem rolls ADVENTURES IN CANADIAN PARKING LOTS
Lousy Parents
The Stakeout
Hamlet & Iago
Fear Fables: The Horror Drag Anthology
Chase Padgett: How To Play Guitar (Poorly)
Peter Pan Cometh
Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody
Cabaret of Legends
Sam's Clam & Oyster Bar
Assassins
Riot!
Marv n' Berry
A Kind of Electra
Moonshine
Lost Sock Rescue Society
Joan of Arc Ascending
The Last Perfect Game: The Jerry Stephenson Story
Colonial Circus
Motherhood
Plan V
100% UnTrueBadour!

Happy Fringing everyone! I hope you stumble into something fantastic!

Super Quick - Wednesday, August 20 Shows - Fringe Full of Stars!

 I slept in a little this morning because I was pretty tired. I realized yesterday why I usually take Wednesday off as my recharge day (I didn't this year...). 

Bomb

Still thinking about this one. Very well done, a little bit surreal, and I am still thinking about what it was trying to say. Definitely a strong comment on maintaining Ukrainian Identity in the face of Russian oppression and incursion. An Excellent cast (Anna Kuman, Geoffrey Simon Brown, Mariya Khomutova, & James MacDonald) and very cool choices for production design and blocking. Loved the gliding hospital screens and shadow play using overhead projectors! Still thinking. Would love to chat with someone else who saw it - it's that kind of play. 

SHIPSHOW!

A very silly and fun show at the Spotlight! Top-notch performers, Dave Clarke & John Ullyatt, come to the stage as the Captain and a Seaman from cursed The Flying Dutchman. Their goal? Find a woman to pledge her love to the Captain to end the curse. Along the way there a many a sea shanty and sailing or boat related songs sung, as well as dances and clever wordplay. I particularly liked all the Fish Puns! Silly fishy fun! 

Giorgi of the Jungle

Set in the 1980s, this show explores the repercussions of bullying based on body hair. There are some strong performances from the cast (Kirsten Throndson, Jason Hardwick, Miracle Mopera, Natalie Czar) and they all commit to their perspective on the issue, but it's sometimes hard to discuss an issue in a play set in another time when modern times have different perspectives. I wasn't sure what point of view the play was, if any, championing. As a junior high teacher I see so many young folk obsessed with how they look and I don't think it's a good thing. I also have my own complicated personal feelings about my appearance, so I think this triggered a few things for me. I don't think the bullies should win and I also think 10 years old is way too young to have to be thinking about how you look. But maybe that's what the show was trying to say?

Word of Mouth - Fringe Full of Stars - Tuesday, August 19, 2025

 

Word of Mouth - Tuesday, August 19, 2025

The Illusionary Magic of Sitruc James
Rat Academy 2
Wizard of One
Final Girl: A New Musical
The Alberta Hospital For The Insane
!SNAFU's Sexy Puppet Show (Epidermis Circus 2)
Hockey Night at the Puck & Pickle
Pair of Guys Lost: A New Musical
Edmontask
Who Drinks Mocktails on the Beach?!
Chase Padgett: How To Play Guitar (Poorly)

That's what I got for Tuesday! There's some new ones in there - so try one out. Somebody in line told me they liked it, so maybe you will too!

Fringe Full of Stars - Tuesday, August 19 Brings FINAL GIRL! And it's SO GOOD!

 Only Two shows on Tuesday, but the first one was simply terrific! 

Final Girl: A New Musical

Straightedge Theatre, particularly playwrights Seth Gilfillan and Stephen Allred, have done it again! They just keep getting better and better and they have been at a pretty high level for quite a few years now! Final Girl is so good. The cast of five (Alyson Horne, Bella King, Jaimi Reese, Josh Travnik, & Liz Janzen) are all stellar performers delivering top-notch vocal and dance performances in this musical that explores the final girl trope of horror movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Throw in some Mean Girls, topical references, clever staging, and a terrific score and you have a show to die for! It's so incredibly tight and funny. I was laughing so hard at the final number that I was literally crying - I couldn't stop. Like Krampus (a previous Straightedge production), I think this show should very much live on beyond the Fringe, for while it has it's Fringe sensibilities it is sure to live beyond. 

DMV

This show explores an adventure of Daphne and Velma (of the Scooby-Doo gang) as they get lost in the woods on their own. They have an accident and are stuck for a while but they find Shaggy's stash and also discover some things about themselves. There's a bit of a mystery involving a serial killer that they inadvertently solve, and some random dancing that's very fun. The production values for this show are pretty impressive - the woods, the Mystery Machine van (complete with working headlights and turn signals), a glow in the dark puppet that's super cool, and great sound tech! I think there were a lot of references that were aimed at a different (younger) demographic than me because there were a lot of  folks laughing at things I didn't get. So I figure would be best for the 18-35 year old crowd. 

Happy Fringing everyone! We're past the halfway point!

Word of Mouth - Fringe Full of Stars - Monday, August 18, 2025

I didn't have as many chats as I usually do on Monday, but I did get a few new show titles and a few repeats! Enjoy!

Word of Mouth - Monday, August 18, 2025

I'm Actually Right About Everything: A Bisexual Love Story
Dead in the Water
Boston Dip
Bone House
Dressing Room Requiem
Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things
Cadaver Synod
Sam's Clam & Oyster Bar
Shot in the Dark
A Kind of Electra

Enjoy and Happy Fringing!

Fringe Full of Stars - Monday brings the BEST SHOW SO FAR! Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things

Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things

Now this is how you tell a scary story! From the pre-set of the cartoonish, but creepy, bed draped in fabric that appear to be covered in skulls, to the first few flashes of light and the quickly revealed tableaux, you know you are in for something really special with Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things. I did not see it when first performed by creators Beth Graham and Nathan Cuckow (pretty sure it Sold Out back then), so other than the imagery of the hollow eyed and sunken cheeked Victorian twins, I didn't quite know what to expect script wise. I think, however, even if you did see it previously, this production would hold up and delight you in a Gothically scary way! 2025's Victor and Victoria and played by Eli Yaschuk and Rain Matkin, who have electric chemistry with each other as was seen earlier in the season in NLT's Radiant Vermin. That chemistry continues with this brilliant show. You do not always expect the level of quality in lighting, set, costumes and the tightness of the performance in a Fringe production. Director Jim Guedo, along with his cast, has delivered a real treat. The ridiculous leg acting alone is worth the price of admission. But seriously folks, it's so incredibly good. It's hysterical, fast-paced, with twists and turns, is at times super scary, and always engaging. I was captivated from the first hilarious moment to the terrifyingly last one! See this show - you won't regret it!