Rochester Fringe 2019: CITY's Daily Fringe Blogs

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French street theater troupe Plasticiens Volants amazed crowds in 2017 with its immersive "Big Bang" show at Parcel 5. The group returns to Rochester this year with a new presentation on Friday and Saturday on the Fringe, September 13-14. - PHOTO BY JOHN SCHLIA

PHOTO BY JOHN SCHLIA
French street theater troupe Plasticiens Volants amazed crowds in 2017 with its immersive "Big Bang" show at Parcel 5. The group returns to Rochester this year with a new presentation on Friday and Saturday on the Fringe, September 13-14.

CITY Newspaper will offer extensive coverage of the 2019 Rochester Fringe Festival. Check back right here for daily blogs, with photos and reviews, during the fun of the festival (September 10-21) And let us know how your Fringe is going on social media with the hashtag #fringeCity19.

For up-to-the-minute coverage of the festival follow City on Twitter (@roccitynews) and Instagram (@roccitynews) or like us on Facebook (facebook.com/CityNewspaper).

Saturday, September 21
Leah reviews "Thank You Kiss Presents: Secret Handshakes"

Friday, September 20
Kathy reviews "Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream'
Adam reviews "Muffin Theatre Presents: A Show With Cookies" and "Which Bitch Did It?"

Thursday, September 19
Kathy reviews "Garth Fagan: Up Close and Personal"
David reviews "Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra: Scheherazade .2"
Leah reviews “The Memory Palace Live”
Frank reviews "Charming Disaster: A Musical Tarot Reading"
Adam reviews "Brave Space" and "Frogpig"

Wednesday, September 18
Frank reviews "Crazy for Dick Tricks: A Dirk Darrow Investigation"
Leah reviews "Delirium"

Tuesday, September 17
David reviews "The Geriactors Present!"
Leah reviews "Shotspeare"

Monday, September 16
Leah reviews "The 24-Hour Plays"
Kathy reviews "21 Chump Street" and "ExMen: Not About Superheroes"

Sunday, September 15
Leah reviews "Spooky Stories in the Stacks," "The Fighting Girl’s Guide to Politics," and "This Year’s Models"
Kathy Reviews "Rhythm Delivered," "Commotion Dance Theater," "Other People’s Shows," and 'MargOH Channing is Hung"

Saturday, September 14
Frank reviews "Pearl: Secrets of the Sea"
Adam reviews "RIT School of Film & Animation Honors Show 2019," "Oz and Effect," and "‘33 (a kabarett)"

Friday, September 13
Kathy reviews "Flirting Like an American"
Leah reviews "The Eulogy"
David reviews "Dogfight: The Musical"

Thursday, September 12
Adam reviews "Colma!"
David reviews "Charlie and the Siberian Monkey Goddess"
Kathy reviews "Somewhere in Between" and "God is a Scottish Drag Queen"
Leah reviews "BardBending: Fight Club Edition"

Wednesday, September 11
Frank reviews "Cirque du Fringe: D'illusion"
Leah reviews "Black Matter"

Tuesday, September 10
Frank reviews "The Theater World of John W. Borek"
Kathy reviews "Something From Nothing (Marfa)"

In This Guide...

Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'Thank You Kiss Presents: Secret Handshakes'

With scripted sketches, improv, video, plenty of pop music and, of course, a secret handshake, Thank You Kiss — comprised of Marc D’Amico, Megan Mack, John Forrest Thompson, and Beth Winslow — makes a hilarious return to the Blackfriars Theatre stage for the first time since 2017. “Secret Handshakes” begins with everyday situations at places from the office, to suburbia, the dentist office and a moving car, and twists them into unexpected and bizarre outcomes.

By Leah Stacy Sep 22, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19 Thank You Kiss
Rochester Fringe Festival

Adam reviews 'Muffin Theatre Presents: A Show With Cookies' and 'Which Bitch Did It?'

With its straightforward title, the utterly delightful “Muffin Theatre Presents: A Show With Cookies” delivers exactly what it promises. The entire solo show follows Katherine Marino’s chipper hostess as she decides to bake some cookies.

By Adam Lubitow Sep 21, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy reviews 'Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play'

One of the things I love most about Fringe is I always learn something. Usually it’s a life lesson or a new way of looking at something, but Friday night, I learned all of that, as well as the life story of iconic performer Josephine Baker.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 21, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy reviews 'Garth Fagan Dance: Up Close and Personal'

Garth Fagan has been a fixture in the Rochester community for nearly 50 years for a reason — he has a distinct style that is instantly recognizable, but he is constantly coming up with fresh ways to present his style of dance.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 20, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

David reviews 'Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra: Scheherazade .2'

A symphony orchestra in a Fringe Festival? It sure makes sense when the orchestra gives an entire program of recent music by four American composers, all very much alive.

By David Raymond Sep 20, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY RPO
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'The Memory Palace Live'

Rochester Fringe 2019, fringeCITY19, The Memory Palace

By Leah Stacy Sep 20, 2019
Rochester Fringe Festival

Frank reviews 'Charming Disaster: A Musical Tarot Reading'

Brooklyn-based duo Charming Disaster was charming as hell, but the only thing disastrous I could see and hear was the two girls sitting behind me that wouldn’t shut up. That notwithstanding, the band put out a dark set of sense, of sensuality, and of grace.

By Frank De Blase Sep 20, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Adam reviews 'Brave Space' and 'Frogpig'

Before entering the gymnasium venue of “Brave Space” at the School of the Arts, the audience is instructed to watch a short introductory video to let us know what to expect from the show we’re about to see. We’re told to prepare to get cozy with one another, and that audience members may be asked to assist the performers at certain points throughout the act.

By Adam Lubitow Sep 20, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'Delirium'

There’s something raw and vulnerable about telling a personal story. It’s the stuff of memoir, autobiography, of poetry and prose.

By Leah Stacy Sep 19, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'The 24-Hour Plays'

Three producers, five writers, five directors, 14 actors, 24 hours. “The 24 Hour-Plays,” an ever-popular Fringe act, returned to Writers & Books on Monday night for two performances at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

By Leah Stacy Sep 17, 2019

Rochster Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy reviews '21 Chump Street' and 'ExMen: Not About Superheroes'

If you know what you’re doing, you don’t need a long time to convey emotion and a point.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 17, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'Spooky Stories in the Stacks,' 'The Fighting Girl’s Guide to Politics,' and 'This Year’s Models'

Rochester Fringe 2019, fringeCITY19

By Leah Stacy Sep 16, 2019
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy Reviews 'Rhythm Delivered,' 'Commotion Dance Theater,' 'Other People’s Shows,' and 'MargOH Channing is Hung'

Most parents may shy away from bringing their kids to a performance of “Stomp.” But what if you removed some of the volume and injected some humor perfect for young audiences? You’d get “Rhythm Delivered.” The troupe of dancers and percussionists use their bodies, as well as miscellaneous objects (paint buckets, cardboard boxes, plastic tubes, and more) to make music, art, and straight-up fun.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 16, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Frank reviews 'Pearl: Secrets of the Sea'

The French company Plasticiens Volants made up for Friday night's forced cancellation due to high winds with two spectacular shows on Saturday night. It was mighty cool, it was mondo epic and truly amazing how they brought these enormous inflatable sea creatures to life over the heads of thousands of mesmerized souls, as their jaws hit the Parcel 5 gravel in awe.

By Frank De Blase Sep 15, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Adam reviews 'RIT School of Film & Animation Honors Show 2019,' 'Oz and Effect,' and '‘33 (a kabarett)'

I always try to make a point of attending the annual Fringe program from RIT’s School of Film and Animation, which presents a host of films (34 this year) produced by the students of SOFA. The works are selected to represent every year of the school’s graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as every genre of film — so there’s bound to be something for everyone among the offerings.

By Adam Lubitow Sep 15, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy reviews 'Flirting Like an American'

Language is a funny thing. It's even funnier when Sufian Zhemukhov takes command of it to tell his story of coming to America from Russia and finding out slowly (and sometimes painfully) that the language of love is not international.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 14, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

David reviews 'Dogfight: The Musical'

Just to put it up front: “Dogfight” is a musical with a book by Peter Duchan and a score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. I mention this because their names are mentioned nowhere on the program for OFC Productions’ Fringe Festival presentation.

By David Raymond Sep 14, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'The Eulogy'

Seven minutes before his 7 p.m. curtain on Friday night, performer Michael Burgos was on the first floor of Writers & Books, nervously milling around the long line that had formed outside the stairway to the second floor theater. A house manager cleared her throat.

By Leah Stacy Sep 14, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Adam reviews 'Colma!'

The infamous Colma, California is a small town just south of San Francisco where, thanks to a significant chunk of the city’s land being devoted to an absurd number of cemeteries, the dead outnumber the living by a jaw-dropping 1,000 to 1. With roughly 1800 living residents, that’s a lot of stiffs.

By Adam Lubitow Sep 13, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

David reviews 'Charlie and the Siberian Monkey Goddess'

“Charlie and the Siberian Monkey Goddess” manages to be something you’ve seen before — the zany “Who’s the crazy one?” debate in a psychiatrist’s office — and something a bit different, in that the debate is between Charlie Chaplin (or an imposter) and someone who might be a doctor, or the goddess of the title, or possibly Princess Anastasia (all of whom affect a Boris-and-Natasha Russian accent). Don Nigro’s one-act play isn’t quite as brilliant as it thinks it is, but it is concise and consistently clever.

By David Raymond Sep 13, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy reviews 'Somewhere in Between' and 'God is a Scottish Drag Queen'

After debuting at last year’s Fringe Festival, the Frazee Feet Dancers are back with a new work titled “Somewhere in Between.” Utilizing original written works, newly composed music and contemporary dance, the small but nimble group tells stories about love, life and acceptance. The written pieces, which are read by its author Reilly Hirst, serve as pacing interludes and introductions to each of the seven pieces, which are accompanied live by musician Greg Woodsbie.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 13, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'BardBending: Fight Club Edition'

With more than 500 shows running in 12 days of Fringe, most folks won’t be likely to choose Shakespeare first.

By Leah Stacy Sep 13, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Leah reviews 'Black Matter'

Candles flickered around the event space off the main dining room at Nox in Village Gate on Wednesday evening, adding to the ambiance of the large, Victorian-esque room. A server flitted around delivering drinks tableside, and a makeshift stage area set apart from tables and chairs was lit with red and blue lights, casting purple rays across the faces of three young black dancers who began the show with a moving interpretive dance set to music thick with bass drumming.

By Leah Stacy Sep 12, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19
Rochester Fringe Festival

Frank reviews 'Cirque du Fringe: D'illusion'

It takes quite a show to upstage a venue, but the folks behind "The Cirque du Fringe" spectacular each year consistently knock it’s capacity audience out. The show is loosely held together by your charming hosts Matt and Heidi Morgan, who wrangle this sideshow as much as they perform alongside attractions from around the globe.

By Frank De Blase Sep 11, 2019
Rochester Fringe Festival

Frank reviews 'The Theater World of John W. Borek'

Alt-theater impresario, fringe of The Fringe, and madman John Borek said adios to The MuCCC performance space on Tuesday night after reigning there for 10 years with contrarian and maniacal delight. The attendees in the joint expected this producer of some of the worst theater to pull off the unexpected and Borek didn’t disappoint; he did exactly the expected, which no one expected —- the fools.

By Frank De Blase Sep 11, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 FringeCITY19 John W. Borek
Rochester Fringe Festival

Kathy reviews 'Something From Nothing (Marfa)'

When you walk into your first Fringe show and you’re greeted by a tunnel of cast members cheering and offering you high fives, you might suspect you’re in for something a little different.

By Kathy Laluk Sep 11, 2019

Rochester Fringe 2019 fringeCITY19