Review by anonymous
July 01, 2019What I liked
The music was a surprise hit in my eyes. An hour of catchy tunes by composer Mia Cotton linked together by a story. Standout performance by Olga Desyatnik who I truly wish we could have seen more of in this production. Also really noteworthy singing from producer/writer/actor Spencer Frankeberger and Francesca Reggio, as well as some solid comedic chops on Jack De Sanz and a few ensemble members.
What I didn't like
Let’s start this off by saying that I did enjoy my 45 minutes with this show. However, the cliched, passe, and frankly super contrived story an average schlub with no real prospects or ambitions meeting and falling in love with a beautiful customer doesn’t really play well and mostly serves as a medium to present Mia Cotton’s superb compositions, some of which didn’t quite get the appreciation they deserved due to some lackluster voices amongst the ensemble. While the book is cowritten by Cotton and Frankeberger, it really feels like Frankeberger took the lead on writing in order to present himself as the romantic lead here, and while he does possess a rather charming and enjoyable singing voice, the same doesn’t really translate into his over-the-top acting style, which certainly clashed with Desyatnik’s much more nuanced and down-to-earth performance. Also, while we do excuse the low-budget nature of Fringe (which is in fact part of it’s charm), miming props is really only acceptable in a classroom environment and, well, mime. We will happily buy that any thin piece of paper can be a receipt or even, you know, your grocery receipt for that day. But using nothing at all seems inexcusable. Also, why use a pitchpipe for an acapella number of it’s the wrong key? If it was for comedic effect, it did not read well. If it was in fact supposed to be the correct key, then perhaps some more rehearsal time was needed for your ensemble. Overall this could be a lot stronger of a show with some careful rewriting and a little more time dedicated to perfecting performances, but as it stands now the overall production is a touch under-blended.
My overall impression
Excellent musical numbers in support of a somewhat underwhelming story with a muddled mix of talent amongst the performers. If you’ve got an hour to spare and want to hear some great music, go see this. If you’ve got an hour to spare and want to see a great show, maybe look around at what else is available.
