These shows are in one way or another about Outcasts, Found Family, and the communities that we build. To me that embodies the Spirit of Fringe. It’s a bit sappy and sentimental but this community has always welcomed people from all walks of life and no matter what crazy, screwed up, lunatic idea you had for a performance it could find a place here.
Over the years we’ve had everything from Eddy Allen Poe’s rock opera to a failed disgruntled airline stewardess revealing secrets about how awful it is to be trained for that job. We’ve had Clowns speaking in rhyme about oppression in the deep south. Improv, DnD, Vampire Puppets and everything in between. This festival is weird and that’s part of what makes it special.
The Madwoman’s Ball by InBocca Performance (Cincinnati, OH)
I have seldomly seen a show that encompasses just about everything that I associate with Fringe like this one does. Audience participation, Historical, explores mental health. I was offered a cider upon entering and the performers interacted with the crowd both before and throughout the piece.
In short, InBocca basically just made the perfect storm of a Fringe show. While Gabriel’s Corner was as hot as a blast furnace. The dance elements are masterful and the portrayals, costumes and confessions of the Hysterics and their mad doctor are to say the least shocking and hilarious. The jokes about Sigmund Freud are also very funny. Kudos to Caroline Stine and the whole crew.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5. The only flaw was the AC.
Tapped In by Pones (Northern KY/Cincinnati, OH)
Tapped In goes into the mystic origins of tap dance and explores how the art form has changed and evolved throughout the centuries. When it gets to the modern day a few of the members of the cast share how Tap has impacted their lives for good and ill.
The overall effect of the piece is both educational and heart warming. Dance has long been a form of expression and to see how it affected people over time was an excellent breath of fresh air.
I’m not normally a dance show person but can certainly appreciate the skill these performers possess and that they have spent huge amounts of time, effort–and sweat–to dance synchronously with joy. I will however say it is unfortunate that it is at Gabriel’s Corner. It was hot. The facility is “working on” fixing the AC.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A Hollywood Horror Story by Ingrid Garner (Los Angeles, CA)
The true spine-tingling tale of a Hollywood legend and the creation of one of pop culture’s most iconic characters, this is the story of the rise, fall, and rise again of Vampira, aka Maila Nurmi.
Ingrid Garner does a fantastic job portraying Vampira, remaining in character throughout while delivering an impressively accurate version of her signature voice—and scream. She is sultry, sarcastic, and fully captures the complicated woman behind the character.
Garner depicts Vampira’s creation, conveying her delight in shocking audiences out of their 1950s complacency, laughing in the face of cultural norms, and embracing her role as a mother figure and friend to society’s outcasts—including James Dean. Set on a simple stage, with a candelabra and a changing area, she spends a lot of the show getting in and out of costume. She also includes some black and white video scenes, seamlessly incorporated.
This show is awesome and thoroughly entertaining. Seeing the cultural impact of Vampira–and the goth look–brought to life onstage is genuinely awe-inspiring.
Rating: 5 out of 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fantastic show.
DMLRR: The Saints
So this is a show that conceptually I love the idea, in practice it’s a bit lacking.
The Saints by Dizzy Lizzie’s Roadside Review, is a fun show. I had a good time. The performers are very skilled with their instruments and the whole vibe of the show works well; it’s a carnival piece. It’s like getting a Catholic Sunday school lesson from Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, which I mean as high praise.
I wasn’t raised Catholic and I don’t know much about the Saints–just like many audience members. The show doesn’t go into detail about any of them, to be very honest I don’t think I know anymore about them than I did before. However, there is an incredibly funny bit with Francis of Assisi being an almost Scoobie Doo type stoner, and the story of St George tells who he is fairly well. But they mention several more saints, and it would be more effective to cover fewer saints, and dive in more deeply. And why two Theresas?
Either due to the placement or level of speakers, the instruments sometimes drowned out the vocals. Sadly, it is common in this space.
Still I was certainly entertained, and the Revue is certainly charming and at the end of the day most people come to a show to be entertained not educated.
Rating: 3.8 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. Great music, fun premise, less is more.
Private Equity: the Musical by Doin’ Too Much Productions (Cincinnati, OH)
This show hits very close to home. It’s a darkly funny glimpse into a near future where AI runs people’s lives, useless corporate executives spend their days in endless Zoom meetings, and those at the top of the system don’t even understand how the colossal, frustrating mess they’ve created is causing everyone else pain.
The music is catchy (Daniel Zimmer), and the main character (Aiden Sims) is sympathetic and easy to root for. Her AI companions (Jermia Munroe, Eli Davis, Danny Lancaster) are funny and frustrating in equal measure. The show’s satire of toxic positivity and corporate culture is particularly sharp, exposing these practices for what they often are: a smokescreen used to discourage meaningful change while protecting those already in power.
Having worked for an organization that employed many of these tactics—no, I won’t say which one—I found plenty to laugh about.
I also appreciated that the show puts its money where its mouth is by providing information about ways audiences can help prevent this kind of dystopian future from becoming reality right here in Cincinnati.
A terrific show overall.
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It might have scored even higher, but the story is admittedly a bit of a bummer, and there were a few sound issues.
Champagne Dreams by 3 Sticks (Auburn, AL)
An excellent case of show, don’t tell.
Champagne Dreams has very few spoken lines–a rarity for a puppet show at this Fringe–but you can feel every emotion on the performers, both humans and the shockingly emotive puppets.
This show is oddly relaxing. The sound scape is calming the visuals both muted and in the dream sequences give off very calming vibes.The plot is relatable: Eloise is a time share salesperson wants to escape from her boring middle of frozen nowhere life into her Champagne Dreams, which includes a life of luxury, seafood, pearls, polka and a tuba.
It is a dream-like show that relies on an impressive amount of green screen and skill. You can watch both the puppeteers in action and their show. I would say that this show’s only weakness is that it’s almost too relaxing.
RATING: 4.7 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a good cool off and relax show to be sure.
