Artist Showcases
Les Parfaits Inconnus - The Perfects Unknown. From Quebec, this imaginative and fun gymnastic quartet share a sampling of their antics - cycling and balancing acts mostly. Apparently the bulk of their equipment was on its way to NY or DC for a performance over the weekend. Good potential, but without the greater variety, in this case there ended up being no there there.
Dance Alloy Theatre
Signature works of a long list of top notch choreographers are performed by this veteran company. Young dancers with good skills perform a quality showcase if not especially exciting or new.
River North Chicago Dance
One of the clearest things in this showcase is that the company has a host of new YOUNG male dancers. This is one of my favorite dance companies with an Artistic Director I respect and call a friend. This was not one of their best presentations. The first piece was clearly under-rehearsed with the new dancers. The "Cuban piece" redeemed the evening and showed the company at its best.
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble
Not extraordinary, but a good basic collection of dance and dancers. Many developing company mistakes - hair is part of the costume and extreme personal styles permitted in otherwise simple pieces are just plain distracting.
Chic Gamine
Five-part female a cappella from our neighbors to the north - and I don't mean Iowa. With years in a cappella, I'm really biased. This group's sound ROCKS. They need to work out the visuals - the young look is fine and attractive on these gorgeous young women, but for a concert setting, dress it up a bit.
Theatre of Fools - "Wacky Chicken Show"
I have a thing for the New Vaudevillians (and puppetry, by the way). Most effective during the audience participation, this quirky ensemble seems best suited for a YOUNG audience. Since the Edison rarely goes that young, it's not an obvious fit, but I look forward to seeing what else this company does.
"Sticks & Stones" - Pint Size Productions
Totally message driven, this rapping piece for young audiences confronts bullying and the "anti-ratting" message imposed by peers. There's no subtlety here and a bit overdone - but a talented young solo artist.
Catskills Puppet Theater - "Hiawatha"
Okay, my earlier puppetry comment does not encompass the full range of offerings. This is another example of work intended for very young audiences -too young for the standard ovations! for young people offering.
Ball in the House
An a cappella quintet, these are powerhouse performers with tremendous vocal chops - special notice of their exceptional vocal percussionist. Without amplification the bass is completely lost in the mix. The white-boy-overbite is a little too omnipresent and is usually accompanied by the closed-eyed introspection. Look up guys and connect with your audience, even in a background vocal position. Other than that, great sound and worth further notice.
Harmonious Wail
A long-time favorite of mine, this group never fails to please. With an apparent love for gypsy swing, HW grooves with a bass player, guitarists and vocalists. Most engaging is the imaginative inclusion of non-traditional percussive instruments such as scissors and cardboard boxes. Sooner or later this is a must see on the Edison stage in some form or another.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Final Day in Edinburgh - Sunday, August 26, 2007
Twelfth Night - Filter Theatre
What a great way to end the Fringe experience. Bold and occasionally over explosive, this reduction of Shakespeare's story weaves music and sound throughout. This rapid fire reduction was inventive, entertaining and imaginative. This company is worth watching. It has a young, fresh approach and talented performers.
What a great way to end the Fringe experience. Bold and occasionally over explosive, this reduction of Shakespeare's story weaves music and sound throughout. This rapid fire reduction was inventive, entertaining and imaginative. This company is worth watching. It has a young, fresh approach and talented performers.
Edinburgh Fringe, August 25, 2007
Orpheus - Aurora Nova
One of these days I'll learn my lesson. I've seen "Orpheus" the Greek mythological tale as theatre, mime, opera and dance. Not once have I actually enjoyed the experience. Oddly enough, I like the basic story. I'm just not finding quality executions. I even went in hopeful since it was an Aurora Nova production. Strike Four! Oh well, maybe I'll learn my lesson one day. Of course, I'm also the eternal optimist. It helps when working in the non-profit industry.
Subway - Traverse Theatre
This is a really strong Fringe performance. A very talented pair of actors are only outdone by a really rockin' musical ensemble. The young male lead plays the principal character. The young female plays all the other roles. The musicians fill in where they're needed. While the music occasionally overwhelms the performers, the quality of the performance shines through. The future-based story, set in Scotland, complete with heavily-accented dialogue would be difficult to translate to an American audience, in more than one sense of the word.
Damascus - Traverse Theatre
The notable young writer, David Greig, offers up this new work which has received mixed reviews. While the play needed editing by at least 20-30 minutes, i was really impressed by this work. A mid-level Scottish executive travels to Syria and learns how little he really knows about the Middle East and its people. This is a refreshing alternative look at a culture and society mostly attacked during this time of turmoil.
One of these days I'll learn my lesson. I've seen "Orpheus" the Greek mythological tale as theatre, mime, opera and dance. Not once have I actually enjoyed the experience. Oddly enough, I like the basic story. I'm just not finding quality executions. I even went in hopeful since it was an Aurora Nova production. Strike Four! Oh well, maybe I'll learn my lesson one day. Of course, I'm also the eternal optimist. It helps when working in the non-profit industry.
Subway - Traverse Theatre
This is a really strong Fringe performance. A very talented pair of actors are only outdone by a really rockin' musical ensemble. The young male lead plays the principal character. The young female plays all the other roles. The musicians fill in where they're needed. While the music occasionally overwhelms the performers, the quality of the performance shines through. The future-based story, set in Scotland, complete with heavily-accented dialogue would be difficult to translate to an American audience, in more than one sense of the word.
Damascus - Traverse Theatre
The notable young writer, David Greig, offers up this new work which has received mixed reviews. While the play needed editing by at least 20-30 minutes, i was really impressed by this work. A mid-level Scottish executive travels to Syria and learns how little he really knows about the Middle East and its people. This is a refreshing alternative look at a culture and society mostly attacked during this time of turmoil.
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