The Time Machine Musical

I had no idea what to expect. How do you turn a classic sci-fi book and movie into a musical? From the mind of Steve Altman, that's how and the magic from director Joshua Fardon. Brilliantly executed, on opening night. Yes, the set was 10? chairs and a stage, with the most bare-bones production I've ever seen, and, the staging and direction utilized the such minimalism forcing our imagination to fill in the gaps. Director Fardon gets a slap on the back for really bringing out the best from the empty stage and talented cast. Even though the disclaimer of "this is a 2 hour show, turned into a 1 hour fringe production, it worked for me, however, it was difficult to follow at times. One would really have to know the story of the Time... full review

This workshop production shows great potential. I can't wait to see it when it grows up into a full production. While some of the cast was still working through their emotional levels and choreography in the piece which led to occasional awkwardness that drew attention from the more focused performances, it was clear that the book, music, staging and choreography have a firm foundation. The show was thought-provoking and had several catchy tunes. There were a few times when I was pulled out of the moment because parts of some tunes were entirely too reminiscent of Beatles and, at times, Journey melodies and harmonies. There were some moments of absolute brilliance in staging, especially the "machine" itself. A personal note f... full review

First of all this is a workshop production. At least I hope it is otherwise they are woefully under prepared. The songs were clever and performed well enough but I would have liked to see more of the book. Steve Altman has managed to avoid most of the pitfalls of modern musicals but did give us the obligatory soaring "believe in yourself" song that every musical apparently must have. His libretto moves from period appropriate styles to more modern pop numbers. Mr. Altman I hope you don't take offense when I say I don't really think you've made a rock musical. If anything it is a pop musical and could in fact be a great one down the line. My biggest complaint is the addition of political commentary into a pro 99% story when the source ... full review

I love HG Wells' "The Time Machine" but this was really dreadful. It almost felt like the writer had no idea what it was supposed to be about. The Eloise and the Morlocks mean nothing to me if you don't set up their world. Where did they come from? Why are they the way that they are? Instead, they spend more time on hippies singing than actual story. 20 songs in a 1 hour version of a show?? Yikes. I honestly can't remembers single lyric. It's also never a good thing when people describe a show as "Waiting for Guffman". Sorry, this show just can't be recommended until it goes through some serious rewrites. They need to read the book and reevaluate what's important to tell. ... full review

I'm being brave and posting this with my name attached. Theatre is a learning experience, much of the time, and this is only one person's opinion. I'll be the first one to admit that when I heard the words "Time Machine Musical" uttered at the second Fringe Workshop event, I was extremely excited. I thought to myself - "What a great idea for a Fringe Show!" Sadly, this show was NOTHING like I expected, and I had much higher hopes for such great material. In short, without trying to sound too critical, the major flaw of The Time Machine Musical is that they just try to do too much, too fast on top of a bare bones budget. The result is an extremely campy, over-hyped, hour and ten minutes of your Fringe going experience you can't really ... full review

The preview I saw suffered from major sound balancing issues. There were several times where mics cut in and out at awkward moments, or where the chorus' mics were on, while the main singer in the front's was off. As a result, I missed a lot of the lyrics, which is bad because this show was nothing but songs. Now, I realize this was a final tech dress/preview. I hope they'll be able to sort the issues out by the time they officially open. That being said, I was disappointed by the show itself. The idea for a Time Machine Musical has potential, but this particular incarnation does not, because it lacks scenes that give the audience a discernible plot to support the music. In order to actually be a fully-realized show, the creator is going... full review

I too attended the preview dress rehearsal yesterday and I'm a little annoyed that reviewers are reviewing a technical aspect of the show which the director clearly came out before the show to tell us would not be at performance level. He gave us fair warning ended my opinion it's not fair to attack that aspect of the show in reviews. I'm not saying that the show was perfect, but I don't think it was anywhere near what the team hopes for us to get out of it. I think it will benefit from more performances and getting used to the space. Having never read Time Machine, I was sort of open for anything and a lot of stuff got by me. The actors were dedicated to the filling their duties and telling the story they were supposed to tell. Jam... full review

I think the reviews here are a little off-base. You can't argue with taste, but this was obviously a preview, in fact the first public viewing, and the small issues were to be expected (the sound mix, lights, etc.) In fact, we were warned that the issues were still being worked out. It was also clearly a development of a longer piece, which could have been clearer -- it would have explained the jumps in story for those who didn't realize it was a truncated longer work. But writer Steve Altman, director Josh Fardon and choreographer Tara Raucci did excellent work, and the cast is very strong. I'm going back to see it as it develops, and I wouldn't waste my time (and money) if I didn't think it's a fine evening and well worth seeing again... full review

A mind tickling and heart thumping workshop of what could be a major production from Steve Altman, the creator of the long running John Lennon musical JUST IMAGINE. Altman, a talented cast and band, and a banquet chair deliver the songs, give us the superstructure of the play's book and take us all the way to the 803rd Century. I only wish they could really take me a few months in to the future because I'll have a hard time waiting even that long for a full production of this show. --Paul Hoan Zeilder ... full review