Day Two - Fringe Full of Stars is off to a Great Start!

Carole of the Belles

This is a super fun show with all the quality that you would expect from this company. They presented the delightful and funny Mass Debating at last year's Fringe. When the Leader of the Silver Belles (Handbell Choir) is in an accident just before the big Christmas concert, the dynamic between the women (Michelle Todd, Kristin Johnston, Trevor Schmidt, Jason Hardwick, Cheryl Jameson) is upset. Barbara, played acerbically on point by Hardwick, challenges the other women (nervous replacement leader Francine, second-wife Shelley, and tell-it-like-it-is Violet) for various reasons. Schmidt as Mother Fowler is hysterical without saying a thing. A replacement bell-ringer, Carol (Jake Tkaczyk), joins the group and gently guides them to reconciliation and harmony. It’s very funny as they explore the various conflicts in the group, but also heartwarming and it asks the question "Who should be the first to start being kind?" It was fun to sing along to the Christmas carols before and after the show and like I said with Krampus a few years ago, I think this would make a nice Christmas tradition theatre experience not written by Dickins! 

How To Pack A Revolution In Your Suitcase

This show is for you if you absolutely love the music of Kurt Weill and the other composers of 1920s-30s Berlin. For me, it was a nice call-back to when I did the Three Penny Opera as several of the songs from the show were featured. Bremner Fletcher has a great voice for this style of singing, and he endeavours to connect the rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s with current world events. It's easy to see the connections in history. I did wish more a little more of the history as I am a lover of obscure facts. It was his first time doing this show in front of an audience, and I think as he does it more, it will become more refined in the telling, and hopefully he can layer in more true stories to support the songs. But as I said, if you really like the music of Kurt Weill you will absolutely love this show.

Dead in the Water

This show was brilliantly performed by Ruth Alexander. I cannot imagine many who would be able to pull the story off as it requires you to be a consummate pianist, singer and actor, and Alexander is all three. I love the fact that it was not just someone talking and playing, but it was an actual play. This was a character, telling her story, and she just happened to be a pianist. Music was embedded within that story. In fact it was key. Alexander was adept at playing multiple characters, switching effortlessly with various accents and physicality, but never becoming gimmicky. You felt that she was Amanda Bridge telling us her life story.  It was a little sad at the ending, but that just shows I was invested. I was hoping for that major chord after the minor.