Lydia Trueblood: The Black Widow of the Atlantic Coast

Utterly captivating. A non-stop surprise train of smart theatrics and great great great music done in a perfect venue. Liz is a powerhouse and her killer voice is only aided by Clara Dykstra's ridiculous multitasking musical skills. A true delight and a show that needs to have way more than one performance left. See it while you can!... full review

Liz Eldridge is spectacular as Lydia, with amazing support from Clara Dykstra and Bryan Bertone. Eldridge definitely lived up to the hype of "the female Aaron Lyons" with her out-of-this-world voice and acting abilities. She told the story as if she had personally lived it, and her interactions with the audience made us feel like we were part of it. Check out the rest of the review at Examiner.com.... full review

Originally Posted in Bitter Lemons: Fringe Femmes | "Lydia Trueblood: The Black Widow of the Atlantic Coast" by Liz Eldridge & Efrain Schunior| Sometimes you just luck into things, and the charming musical confession of Lydia Trueblood has got to be on the top of my #HFF14 happy accident list. Who knew walking into a bar would mean a 19th century tale of murderous exploits and romantic adventures, complete with an adorable singing, accordion- and trumpet- (simultaneously, mind you) playing mute? The dark and stormy storyline here (co-written by Liz Eldridge and Efrain Schunior) is a clever excuse to string together knock-out tunes, written and performed by Eldridge as Lydia, a femme fatale with a knack for finding fortunes among the d... full review

The instant Liz Eldridge as the murderess Lydia Trueblood steps on stage she has us in the palm of her hand. This musical romp inspired by the real life husband murdering Trueblood is not just an engaging story but the music and musical talent of Eldridge is phenomenal. Musical accompaniment by Clara Dykstra (both accordion and trumpet) is cleverly added to the show by creating the character of Trueblood’s daughter Annabelle (she’s a mute who sings and swears) – which allows for the terrific musical and comedic duo to flourish. Dykstra wows with her musical talent but also charms with her adorably sweet face and dimples. This show is simply devilishly fun entertainment. Director and co-writer Efrain Schunior keeps the pace ebbing and f... full review

Fantastic!!! A Truly enjoyable evening...a witty, dark, sardonic, and very sexy piece!!!! Great location, tons of fun...... full review

Awesome show! The story was well-written and funny, the music was impressive, the singing was extraordinary, and the acting was outstanding. Liz Eldridge is a phenomenal actress and blew the roof off with her powerful singing voice, which is out of this world. And Clara Dykstra provided splendid support as she humbly showed off her exceptional accordion, trumpet, and vocal skills.... full review

It's an absolute crime that this production only got three performances as it is easily best show I've seen at this year's Fringe (technically it shares that honor with one other musical). If there is any justice in this world it will get extended so you can all partake in the absolutely stunning voice that Liz Eldridge brings to the production, along with the exceptional instrumental skills that both Liz and the equally talented Clara Dykstra bring to the table. The story is engaging and funny, the music and lyrics range from soft and beautiful to full blown bad-ass belts, and the entire production has a clean, sleek feel to it, a result of the roughly two years that Liz and Efrain Schunior have spent honing this piece of art. Agai... full review

This show was so great! Wonderful story telling and beautiful singing and music. I was really impressed by everyone involved and enjoyed every second of it!!... full review

What a delightful Gem! Liz Eldridge has an amazing vocal instrument, a brilliantly witty mind, and an incredible sense of presence and timing that she showcases very nicely, thank you!... Liz starts slowly, (just like you like it -) and builds in complexity, assisted by the most amazing and ambidextrous Clara Dykstra, who's musical talents will no doubt influence her future as a ground breaking new age architect in the next few years. (?!) Catchy tunes, carefully wrought lyrics and an uncanny wicked choice of instruments: Ukelele, Baby Banjo, Accordion, Trumpet + an antique hand pumped organ -the like of which I had never seen or heard - that seamlessly assist in transporting us back to the late 19th century in tonal quality and stolen from ... full review

The attraction to this show is definitely the music. Liz Eldridge has a gorgeous voice and the multitude of instruments that both she and Clara Dykstra play is truly impressive. Watching Dykstra play the accordion and the trumpet AT THE SAME TIME is mind boggling. However, the story and performance in between the songs needs some work. It felt long even though the running time was less than an hour.... full review