AT THE FRINGE - WHEN BILLIE & FRIENDS MET

A terrific musical review, based on the lives and music of Billie Holliday and Dinah Washington. Wendy Gordon portrayed both singers, with Marvin Cockerell, the music director, on keyboards, Stanley Coleman on saxophone, Willem von Hombracht on bass and Bernard Long Jr., on drums. Billie Holliday always wore a large flower o the left side of her head when performing. The show explained that early in her career, before going on stage, Holliday burned the left side of her head with a curling iron. She covered it with a flower and it became a trademark.             

AT THE FRINGE - PLAYING DRESS UP

Mary Schmidt presented a show about the meaning and poignance of clothing from our pasts. Families of limited means would reuse, repair and recycle, wasting nothing. Did you have hand-me-downs in your family? Do attics and thrift stores give you a feeling of connection to your heritage? By the way, love her Kansas City Fringe tee shirt.                    

AT THE FRINGE - THE MAGICAL MAYHEM SHOW

 

The Fringe usually has magic shows and there were a few this year. Back for a return engagement were Professor Longhair and John Johnson, who perform as The Magical Mayhem Show. Plenty of audience participation.                  

AT THE FRINGE - WE ARE THE WHOLE CAST

Late post. I got an early Covid booster yesterday since we’re traveling abroad soon and it knocked me out.  Anyway, another favorite show. Carmen Guynn and Ieshah Edwards presented a series of poignant scenes, each with a different character. 

They include: a formerly enslaved woman who channels resilience through a Bomba dance; a warm-hearted waitress; a Bible-toting and liquor flask carrying neighborhood matron; a broom-carrying sass machine; a 16 year old with an intellectual disability who  finds pride and joy in her work and love of beans; a former Broadway star who receives a lifetime achievement award; and an unapologetic woman of the night who uses humor and grit to confront judgment and survive.

Sorry  for the streakiness. Digital projectors and digital cameras don’t play well together. 

                      

AT THE FRINGE - MIDSUMMER NIGHT: A TALE OF PUCK

Potosi, Missouri, is a small town 72 miles / 116 km southwest of St. Louis. It was the center of a lead mining region and has fallen on hard times. Nevertheless, there is a wonderful organization called Sonder Performance Company that gives local girls an opportunity to participate in sophisticated music and dance productions and take the shows on tour. This show was derived from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, centered on Puck finding her identity. It was the most charming thing I’ve seen in a long time and I could not resist the temptation to show several pictures.