Most of what we see at the Fringe falls under the headings of theater or comedy, but there’s lots more out there, too. Here are our write-ups for shows listed under Musicals and Opera, Events, and Cabaret (obviously there is a lot of cross-over amongst the categories, so for example you’ll find some musical theater appearing on our other review pages, as well).
Japan Marvelous Drummers
This was everything I hoped for from the title: absolutely marvelous Japanese drumming. Five men and three women kept us enthralled with various kinds of drumming, dancing, and occasional flutters of a Japanese flute. The show is intense, engrossing, and mesmerizing. Attention to detail is excellent. So much precision and physical intensity is involved in the drumming; this is music as sport.
Just when the audience thinks things couldn’t get any more intense, the largest drum is brought out for one of the last songs. It vibrates throughout our entire bodies.
With an aesthetic of black, red, and gold, the costumes, drums, and staging made this production as enjoyable to watch as it was to hear.
Venue notes: big lecture hall, plenty of great seats.
Japan Marvelous Drummers is on daily at 17:30 through 25 Aug.
★★★★★ from Julie
★★★★ from Scott
link to this review
Bianco
Bianco is Scott’s kind of thing, but not Julie’s. So we’ll hear from Scott first: Underneath the traditional-looking circus tent, the atmosphere is turbulent and dreamy. Once I stopped trying to figure things out, I was swept away by the show. (It doesn’t try to tell a story, it imparts an experience.) The mood was infectious: It had a dark, chaotic, steampunk vibe, offset by the joyful and playful spirit of the cast. I really enjoyed the live band, that kept the show moving at all times and helped establish the mood. With that as the backdrop, I marveled at the physicality and skill of the performers. The lack of a formal stage or seating let the audience get close to the performers and choose their viewpoint. Another small thing that helped me savor the show was the availability of Barney’s Beer on tap. Edinburgh is a wonderful place to experience craft ale and it makes me sad that most shows at the Edinburgh Fringe only sell mass-market lagers.
Julie says: I want to like this kind of thing. I feel like I’m somehow failing as a human being when I don’t. But, well, I get bored watching circuses. Once I understand that you can do fancy tricks on a trapeze, it becomes part of the way the world is, just a simple fact. I understand on some level that this is very impressive, but I am not entertained by it. That said, there were moments during Bianco in which I was truly entertained – these usually had to do with fleeting combinations of beautiful imagery and music, like at the end when it snowed. Or maybe I was just happy it was over.
Bianco is on at various times at NoFit State Big Top (Venue 194) through 25 Aug.
★★★★★ from Scott
★★★ from Julie
link to this review
Cocktails with the Diva
This was the first cabaret show I’ve seen, so I didn’t know quite what I was getting into. (I mean, I’ve seen Cabaret, the Broadway musical, just not any actual cabaret.) Our diva for the evening was an opera singer with a lovely voice. Her shiny purple dress had me mesmerized. There were well-rehearsed jokes and banter with the band between songs.
The opening song had me nodding along in agreement – she was singing about my life! It was all about Edinburgh during the Fringe, scuttling from show to show and whatnot – especially poignant if you’ve already been trudging around the Fringe for a couple days or so. Later songs were quite dark in their humor at times – certainly edgier than anything I’ve heard out of a stand-up’s mouth this year. Somehow it’s hard to be offended by jokes about Syria and Oscar Pistorius while they’re being sung with a smile. Audience members can win cocktails for their vocal enthusiasm, so show up thirsty and ready to sing for your vodka.
Venue notes: A small converted ballroom/conference room. The view is much better from the front than the sides, so endeavour to arrive early to be able to get one of the better seats.
Cocktails with the Diva is on most nights at The Assembly Rooms at 22:15 through 24 Aug.
★★★★ from Julie
link to this review
The Addams Family
Julie says: We were divided on this one. OK, so it’s not a brilliant piece of writing (on Broadway, not even Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth could save it), but it’s a halfway-decent musical performed really well. There’s some very good singing, choreography, and costumes. Fester was particularly adorable, and the chorus girls were a ghostly delight. When you consider what Broadway musicals cost these days, tickets to this production of the Addams Family are a steal, even at full price.
Venue notes: One of the larger Fringe venues, this is a real theater with real seats.
The Addams Family is on most days at 11:00 at Assembly Hall (Venue 35) through 25 Aug.
★★★★ from Julie
★★½ from Scott
link to this review
Sunday in the Park with George
This student production of Sondheim’s musical features live musical accompaniment and minimalist sets. The musical takes its inspiration from the iconic pointillist painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat. The story is a fictionalized version of Seurat’s life as he works on this painting. This production includes some talented singers and actors, although unfortunately at times lyrics were drowned out by the accompaniment – for this reason the ensemble songs came across as the strongest.
I longed for more visual stimulation from this production – it is, after all, a musical which revolves around the creation of a large, colorful painting. The use of small canvases as visual placeholders was at times clever, but at times it just reminded me how much I was longing for stronger visuals. Still, overall it was a well-spent hour and twenty-five minutes of our Fringe.
Sunday in the Park with George is on daily through 25 Aug.
★★★½ from Julie
★★★½ from Scott
link to this review
Sushi Tap Show
This one seems most appropriate for families with children, but the audience was mostly adults the day I went. This five-member dance group from Tokyo is full of adorable enthusiasm from start to finish. Skilled tap dancing is interwoven with comedy and circus tricks (the kind you’re likely to see from a street performer). It’s all kinds of cheesy, which is exactly what we the audience signed up for. It’d be hard to leave this show without a smile on your face.
The recorded audio was much too loud at the start of the show – my ears were unhappy and I couldn’t hear much of the tapping. Thankfully it got better a few numbers in.
Venue notes: a proper auditorium with proper seats. Best view is from the front row (you’ll want to be able to see their feet!).
Sushi Tap Show is on every day at 16:45 until 25 Aug.
★★★½ from Julie
link to this review
Pirates of Men’s Pants
This musical comedy is a jazz adaptation of The Pirates of Penzance, the exceedingly silly story of a band of pirates, their apprentice, and a major general and his daughters. There’s a lot of singing, dancing, and cardboard set pieces.
The production is rather unpolished in places, with some forgotten lines and awkward scene transitions. Its biggest flaw was in the sound – some singing voices did not carry well, and the lyrics were completely lost in many spots. Still, it’s a fun watch. There are nuggets of excellent choreography and comedy. The Major General’s Song is a highlight, despite the twerking involved.
Venue notes: much too hot and muggy, with somewhat cramped seats. Decent visibility.
Pirates of Men’s Pants is on daily at 16:50 at C Cubed through 16 Aug.
★★★ from Julie
★★★½ from Scott
link to this review
Nando’s and Nandon’ts: A Musical
This was the first Free Fringe show I saw, and I went in unsure what to expect. I’d heard a variety of stories about the Free Fringe, from amazing performances to cringe-inducing stand-up disasters. This one fell comfortably between those two extremes. Nando’s and Nandon’t is a cute little musical love story between a boy, a girl, and an over-involved waitress at a cheap chain chicken restaurant. There are some lovely bits of comedy strewn throughout the show, which is peppered with colorful British slang (I only recently learned what a “bell-end” is). The show drags a bit in spots where the song lyrics start taking themselves too seriously, but there were enough good parts to make it a worthwhile watch. The ukulele accompaniment was a nice addition.
Venue notes: A small conference room with a stage and some chairs. Comfortable enough.
Nando’s and Nandon’ts: A Musical is on daily at 12:30 through 10 Aug.
★★★ from Julie
link to this review
The Improv Musical
There are a lot of improv musicals at the Fringe this year. Now I’m curious to see some of the others, because I wonder if I would like them better than this one. It just wasn’t very funny. The songs were repetitive. The biggest laughs of the night were when two ostensibly straight male performers had to kiss each other. There were clearly some talented performers in the group, but for me the improv just didn’t come together.
Venue notes: the seats are too close together, but if it’s not a full house, you can spread out and be comfortable.
The Improv Musical is on most days at 18:15 until 25 Aug.
★★½ from Julie
link to this review
Connected the Musical
Connected started out strong, but it quickly went downhill from there. This four-character musical came off as an awkward after-school special about bullying. The pacing was off, the lyrics were bad, and the characters were high school stereotypes. The performers, however, were very strong. We found ourselves wishing they had been given a completely different script to showcase their singing and acting skills.
Venue notes: Comfortable seating, good visibility.
Connected the Musical is on most days at 15:30 at Pleasance Courtyard through 25 Aug.
★★½ from Julie
★★ from Scott
link to this review