Review of "Lost" and "McBeth: Over 2 Million Slain"

[zesty_pinto]

Having the opportunity to partake in the FRINGE festival is something that any affecianado of the arts should try at least once. The concept of attending a show that has potential to be very entertaining, or to see new talent, or to even just have the chance to see something that may become the next broadway smash hit; all of these thoughts and more are just what add to the thrill of attending these shows. It's a sort of gamble, and for 15 bucks a show, it's not much of a gamble for one to two hours of potentially entertaining shows.

As I stood on variable lines anticipating what wondrous events could befall me (both were sold out), I had to deal with the loss of missing two such shows. "The Boy Who Would Be Asian," which, from what the synopsis said, seemed to be a comedy about an Asian American trying to find some culture; and "Henry 5" which was a version of Shakespeare's famous play on the Battle of Agincourt (don't quote me on the term) done through the perspective of a small boy with small plastic soldiers sent off to war. The blackout bereft me and the thousands of other potential thespians of these venues as well as many of the other ones and if it wasn't for the fact that I rescheduled for their Friday show (though I feel some irony to go from opening night to closing night) I'd be irked.



McBeth: Over 2 Million Slain

Perhaps I have a weakness for everyone's favorite bard. Whenever I get a chance to see an interpretation of one of Shakespeare's works, I always get this urge to go and see it and this was no exception. "McBeth: Over 2 Million Slain," is a fast food version of the production done by a fairly clever Kevin Shinick. Yes, a fast food version.

Characters throughout the play all wore the standards of fast food dress like their coat of arms. From Macduff's banner as the Burger King to the servants in their dress as employees of one food chain or another. The fast food imagery adds a humorous mood to this play that pokes fun at the war for fast food, though at the same time I could not help but feel that some of these banners were obscure. Banquo's banner, telltale by a smiling star, is one I am hardly familiar with, but I can imagine represents something.

Macbeth, as you may have guessed from the title, bears the banner of the Golden Arches. The hero of a war of crop dusting and chemical warfare against the oncoming plagues, he meets fry kids with his friend Banquo. As you may imagine, these "witches" lead our hero astray through chicken mcnuggets, hamburgers, and visions of french fry knives dripping of ketchup blood. In time, he changes from a hero to the clown prince of darkness, with a very humorous interpretation of when he replaces the bloody knives his wife used to murder the king with.

I loved every moment of the play. Although the transition from the aged tongue of Shakespeare into the modern transition is difficult, you can tell how much effort was put into combining this old production with the new. I think what struck me as the most entertaining of actors was Craig Dudley's portrayal as a disheveled bum of a Porter, giving the audience stares of estrangement that reminded me of the homeless people I pass by with dirty clothes and shiny fast food cups all the while doing the Porter from Hell shtick.

Of course, that would also be wrong not to recognize all the actors in this production. Everyone in it did a wonderful job, and although I may think this is too urbane for the conventional audiences of Broadway, I do admire this version of Macbeth for putting such consideration into being so damn entertaining. Thumbs up to you, Kevin Shinick, for this brilliant piece of work.

Lost

This one had a lot of potential out of all the other FRINGE productions. Rob Urbinati, previous recipient of awards for his audience-winning two previous years, directed this musical along with his equally reputable crew of actors. I felt lucky enough to get tickets as it was apparent from day one that this musical was going to get very popular (it is currently completely sold out for all runs with some consideration for some extended shows). Of course, I am not really a fan of musicals either, but I digress.

"Lost" is a modern-day version of Hansel and Gretel. Gabby and Hanlon, guided to the woods by their father, are soon... well, lost. As their father leaves to find a way back, they run into a house run by a woman who is surrounded by servants that all have something... different about them. As you can imagine by the book, yes, the woman wants something from the two as she welcomes them in, and what follows afterwards is a drama on love, perseverence, and what the title is aptly named for.

I should say that this musical is one of the few I have seen with their own small orchestra, and it is quite welcome. The music is a triumphant collection of pieces that really bite into your soul with sorrow and hope. The entire cast has a beautiful set of voice ranges that are clear and gripping. It is amazing hearing so many different tones to the sound of the instruments in the background.

While the story was cute and the music amazing, I felt the plot wasn't as gripping as I think it could be. Of course there is moral consequence portrayed and a more "cutesy" feel to it than horror, but even considering this, I just did not feel the right chemistry: perhaps it was the pairing of actors? But then again, I reiterate once again that I am hardly a fan of musicals. I can imagine seeing this production get a position off-Broadway or even on Broadway just for the proficiency that the entire crew and director have. I just could not see myself go to see this one paying the full Broadway price. I'd recommend any musical fan to see this one when they have extended shows for this production (click here if you're interested); you'll probably love it even more than me. As for me, I'll probably just buy the soundtrack for now.

-and that's that. (thanks Mel!)

Comments

[mel.livejournal.com]

Both sound rather interesting, and you've made me sorry that I can't go see them now. As for the smiling star..that's the ever famous logo of Carl's Jr (who I once worked for) I don't think there are many on the east coast, though I could be wrong. Good food. Also, the lj-cut text= feature only works on the opening tag, silly. You have to take out the text= for it to not show up in your body of text.