Explanation of the ridiculous emoji system I devised while overcaffeinated and now feel beholden to continue with for consistency’s sake here. That being said, on with today’s highlights!
Josephine
Judging by the sizable crowd I found myself a part of when I saw this show in this Silver venue this past Sunday, Fringe veteran Tymisha Harris probably doesn’t need my help filling seats for her global phenomenon of a Fringe show, which here appears as part of its 10th anniversary season. But I’m still happy to add to this show’s long list of awards and accolades by reiterating the fact that it is an utterly exquisite piece. Harris’s giftedness as a singer alone would be well worth the price of admission, but when you combine her pipes with eye-catching costumes, excellent production values, and a well-crafted story about the legendary historical figure the show’s title refers to (Josephine Baker), you have a stellar show on your hands.
Playing tonight at 5:15 pm in the Silver venue
Tickets and future showtimes here
Emojis earned: 🤩💙
THE $#!T
This is the only Fringe show this year that I would publicly describe as shitty… and I only mean that in the most literal possible sense. In this solo show, performer Matti McLean tells the story of a farcical comedy of errors that ensues when nature calls at an inconvenient moment during a fated reconnection with a former lover….and then, of course, the toilet clogs. It’s a wild and genuinely funny ride, but this show also has more going for it than the boldness of its bathroom humor, which is only the vehicle by which McLean examines his queer coming of age and toxic romantic tendencies through the lens of his relationship with this former lover in question.
McLean wins us over quickly with his confident delivery, clever narrative construction, and willingness to share some of his most vulnerable moments for the sake of making us laugh.
As long as you aren’t the type to be put off by talk of poop or talk of penises, you’ll probably quickly be taken in by McLean’s surprisingly sweet and nuanced tale, which will likely resonate with anyone who’s dealt with feelings that refuse to be flushed away.
Playing tonight at 8 pm at 1010 Brewing
Tickets and future showtimes here!
Emojis earned: 💞😄
Chase Padgett: How to Play Guitar (Poorly)
This was the first show I caught this Fringe during previews, though it actually wasn’t my first time seeing the show, which I caught during its run at Orlando Shakes a few months ago. I enjoyed it both times around, but felt like the acoustics and aesthetic of the Renaissance Theatre Company made his vocals, guitar playing, and charming persona pop even more.
Will you actually learn anything about to play guitar from this show? Well, not really, but you will learn quite a bit about Padgett, who delves into his struggle to find himself before finding music and his complex relationship with his late father amongst other compelling topics. Showcasing the unique tone of his strong voice as well as his mastery of the titular instrument with performances of classic songs and quirky originals, Padgett also has a magnetic stage presence that amplifies the impact of these substantial assets.
This is another case where my biggest criticisms are actually costumed compliments, in that I found myself missing some of the material Padgett had included in the 90 minute version of the show I saw over at Shakes. But the tightened version of the show isn’t one that would come across as lacking to anyone who isn’t familiar with the original and anyone who gives Padgett a chance is unlikely to leave disappointed.
Playing tonight at at 8 pm at the Renaissance Theatre Company
Future showtimes and tickets here!
Emojis earned: 💞🤩
john jack josie – JUICE
For this show, I’m going back on what I literally just said about trying to prioritize shows that my new co-reviewer Harris Halabi hasn’t already covered in his huge chunk of reviews, which you can read here. But I wanted to make an exception in part because it’s one that was doing something incredibly interesting artistically that seems to demand further attention, and in part so I can award it the little trophy symbol that identifies it as my critic’s pick for the day.
Not that any of the aforementioned three shows would have been undeserving, but this one probably aligns with my admitted biases in that it’s weirder, rawer, and fringier— and it seems to feature an artist absolutely baring their soul to the audience in the hopes their story will resonate rather than just angling for applause.
In other words, now that I’m writing about john jack josie – JUICE, I’m not just shuffling around my repertoire of adjectives and adverbs in the hopes of stringing together a few cohesive sentences– I’m responding to the truly unique experience of watching some of performer Josie Nixon’s riskiest choices pay off in a big way for the intimate crowd I was a part of at Sunday’s performance of this compelling piece.
In a full face of clown makeup, Nixon starts off the show as Juice and spends most of the rest of the piece inhabiting three separate personas which are clearly differentiated both physically and psychologically. Gradually, we begin to understand the connection between these four different characters, watching identities shift, evolve, and ultimately crystalize in real time.
For much of the show, I was somewhat skeptical of Nixon’s choice to utilize the aforementioned full face makeup, which to an extent distracted from their otherwise compelling storytelling— but changed my mind near the conclusion of the show when it culminated in a stunning visual reveal that strikingly reinforces the piece’s themes. It’s a choice that creates a narrative distance that the show later collapses entirely, in the process framing that collapse as entirely deliberate and controlled. A can’t miss piece for theatregoers who want more substance than can be offered by even the most well-performed parody musicals, or who want the chance to bear witness to an extraordinary theatrical experiment.
Ticket and future showtimes here!
Emojis earned: 🧠💞💙🎉🏆
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These additions mean that I’ve personally reviewed 24 shows so far and Orlando Theatre Review has covered 44 – a fairly decent chunk of this year’s Fringe offerings that is less than half of the festival’s entirety. Which is…. not nothing, I guess?
Finally, a brief reminder that tonight is one of your last chances to catch my show Karma’s a Bitch at 5:30 pm in the Brown venue! Tonight is also our $6 night, so if you pick it over a $15 dollar show, you will have an extra $9 dollars to spend on beer on the lawn later, which I only say because that was how I used to calculate some of my early Fringe theatre-going decisions. Whatever you choose, happy fringeing!