Comedian Mike Birbiglia, who performs at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul from Oct. 17-19. When reviewing comedian Mike Birbiglia's latest solo show The New One, the New York Times' Ben Brantley decided to wax poetic. "Mr. Birbiglia’s voice," he wrote, "becomes a low, wraparound, pleasure-drenched caress.
Comedy
Fringe File #17: The 2nd Annual Golden Lanyard Awards
Last night, the Minnesota Fringe Festival announced the recipients of the 2nd Annual Golden Lanyard Awards. These awards honor, among other things, the best-selling shows in each venue, several audience and artist voting categories, and Fringe staff favorites. A total of 28 awards were bestowed on 23 shows and 1
Fringe File #16: The Arts Reader Awards
The Minnesota Fringe Festival's annual domination of the Arts Reader's coverage is almost complete. Each year, for a period of around six weeks, coverage of the region's largest performing arts festival takes over our homepage. This focus reflects a larger action in the industry: many theatres and musical organizations simply choose
Fringe File #15: Mini-Reviews #4
A collage of promotional images for shows discussed in this article. Note: So as to capture different reviewers' varying perspectives, the Arts Reader sometimes reviews the same show twice. Chisago Haute Dish Productions parodies the musical Chicago, by changing the story from two female killers in Chicago, to an Orlando, Florida woman who
Fringe File #14: Mini-Reviews #3
A collage of promotional images of shows reviewed in this article. All is Bright Five years after its last Minnesota Fringe appearance, the New York City-based Shelby Company is back with a hilarious new comedy. Underneath All is Bright's "people talking at a bar" schtick is a powerful comedy executed with exquisite
Fringe File #10: The Out-of-Town Previews
A collage of promotional images from the Minnesota Fringe Festival's out-of-town preview event. 'Twas the night before Fringe, and all through the house, there were squeakings and stirrings of Mr/Ms Theatre Mouse. The last step in the Minnesota Fringe Festival's preview process is in many ways one of the most exciting:
Fringe File #8: The Second Round of Previews
A collage of publicity photos from shows featured at the 2nd official Minnesota Fringe Festival preview event. With no further ado, here are all the videos from the second round of Minnesota Fringe Festival previews. #OrdinaryHeroes (presented by Minneapolis Ballet Dancers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoB75dWCCFM 10 Minutes Between 1:50 and 2AM by Melancholics Anonymous) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm7GAadqb1I Ancient Future Division: Battle
2019 Minnesota Fringe Festival – Coverage Round-up
REVIEW: Roaring Laughs Abound in The Play That Goes Wrong (Orpheum/Hennepin Theatre Trust)
FEATURE: Opera, Sexual Misconduct, and Daylight
This story includes a graphic discussion of sexual assault. One night in July, wigmaster Jolie O’Dell turned out the lights and went to bed. She awoke, she says, to find herself being groped by her house guest, a bass-baritone opera singer named Matthew Stump. Stump masturbated as he fondled her; amidst