Today’s review of the Orlando Fringe Festival includes “Brain Bros. Presents: Uber Chronicles”, “Cult Classic: A New Musical”, “Gonzo: A Brutal Chrysalis”, “Snoring Mangoes” and “Winning: Winning” all appear in preview.
Are the cults of movie shops, Uber-inspired freestyle raps, thrown typewriters, and guys wearing dog cones all in common?
All of these are snapshots of this year’s Orlando Fringe show moments, representing the kind of ideas that embody the absurdity the festival is known for.
“Brain Bros. Presents: Uber Chronicles” (Brown, 60 Minutes) promoted as “part stand-up, part storytelling” and focuses on Narada Owens’ ride-sharing adventures. The laidback hip-hop beat provides the performers with backgrounds for freestyle rap and recites some of his original songs.
The rapper’s poems have some clever rhymes and lines, but in the end the show doesn’t end up being a seductive ride from start to finish.
The improvised comedy show “Snoring Mangoes” (brown, 30 minutes) takes the form of a set sitcom in Orlando. Cuban immigrant Claudina (Barbara Rezcano Scott), writer Ian (Ian Rubin), and post office Felix (Del Marco Allanco) try to draw laughs from the audience throughout the show.
Initially, cast members received suggestions from the crowd to incorporate the popular sitcom scene, but it was unclear whether the prompt had made their way into the rest of the show. It was about the scope of audience participation. This is usually a feature of improvisation shows.
Although each performance is slightly different, this comedic act presented more as a half-play with some interesting quips and a plot that didn’t really know where to land.
In “Cult Classic: A New Musical” (Pink, 60 minutes), a small cinema has a hard time paying the IRS and has to find creative ways to keep their business up. Charlie (Rex Bentley) is interested in keeping the lights on at the deceased father’s shop, but Blockbuster tries to buy them.
The performance is part of a musical, comedy, or drama, and presents the original musical number carrying the story. Ultimately, the hair plot to turn the store into a tax-free church shows that the word “cult” refers to more than a film. This musical can use tightening and Polish, but the cast gives it a lot of heart. If someone is asking for “rental and repentance,” the audience should be wary.
“Gonzo: A Brutal Chrysalis” (B-side of Ten10 Brewing, 75 minutes) channels Hunter S. Thompson’s volatile and rebellious personality in this one-man show starring James Cartee. It is clear that the central Floridian is dedicated to playing Thompson through his gestures, mannerism and dialogue, and shaving his head for this show.
The performance presenting himself as an autobiography of Thompson’s life begins in the late 1960s, when the writer was following the angel motorcycle club of hell. In 1970, a continuous monologue about the death of an American dream rails, weaving in detail the run for Thompson’s private life and Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado.
The act is a bit inconsistent and sometimes bounding boundaries in a madness, but is completed with pills and typewriters scattered throughout the stage, these are the same traits that defined Thompson and his writing. It is clear that writer Paul Addis and director Tom Oris are passionate Thompson readers, creating a show that Gonzo journalist fans must watch.
Another solo show at the same venue, “Victory: Winning” (B-side of Ten10 Brewing, 60 minutes) embarks on a “silent-ish” self-discovery journey with native and part-time clown Gordon Neal in Toronto. While performers don’t speak for most of the show, the slideshow with audio carries the show told by the fake Tony Robbins, a popular motivational speaker and life coach.
Through the clown and mimming, Neil puts on a dog collar and eats cupcakes, plays the guitar, and tries to face his own fears. It’s fun and ridiculous, like “Fringe Only” in “One No Show.”
As the show approaches its end, Neil finally finds his voice and reveals the essence of facing fear in his audience. For a whimsical, denounced show, the final segment presents a surprisingly fragile plot twist that gives more meaning.
pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com
Orlando Fringe Festival
Location: The show at Rock Haven Park is located in a color-coded venue. Off-campus locations are identified by their name. When: Costs until May 26th: $10 buttons required for ticket shows, then individual performance tickets are under $15. Schedule, tickets, details: orlandofringe.orgOther reviews: orlandosentinel.com/fringe
