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With two Pick of the Fringe musicals, composer Stewart Yu and writer Angela Wong can probably add crowd pleasers to their CV, right? After a successful 2012 Fringe run and another remount in 2013 with their first musical, Riverview High, they’ve done it again–this time with a parody of an early aughts TV show that was a parody itself.

The O.C.: The Musical follows Ryan Atwood, a troubled yet ruggedly charming bad boy from the wrong side of town who is abandoned by his parents only to be adopted into the high-class, sophisticated world of Orange County by his attorney-turned-adopted father, Sandy Cohen. The transition to privileged life isn’t easy for Ryan, and soon after he develops a bromance with Sandy’s son, Seth, Ryan gets caught up in a series of love triangles, drama, musical ballads, feelings (oh, so many feelings), and inclusive Chrismukkah celebrations. Really, it’s a classic tale of teenage romance and privileged rich kids living in gated communities.

As a big fan of the TV show way back when, I was excited to hear what Yu and Wong would come up with, this time around. Yu sent me a cut of “The Summer of Summer” and I was hooked. Catchy and upbeat, The O.C.: The Musical is just that–a fun and witty parody that everyone, including people who haven’t seen the show before, can enjoy.

While working with Yu and Wong, I was able to talk to Wong about creating and producing a second musical, her experience with Fringe, and her growth as an artist.

Sad Mag: How is The O.C.: The Musical different from Riverview High?

Angela Wong:Although both shows dealt with teenage drama, angst, love, and romance with a comedic twist, they are also very different. Riverview High was our firstborn. It is a heartwarming story that celebrates friendship, diversity and acceptance. Like any firstborn, it made its way into the world through two first-time writers who tried their best, and wrote from a place of pure love for the creative venture.

The O.C.: The Musical, however, is the fun, flashy, and uninhibited second-born. It is all about magnifying the melodrama of the beloved television show, and parodying the already over-the-top storylines of The O.C. Through the campy songs and snappy quips, The O.C.: The Musical highlights the absurdity of teenage dramas, and shows how the storylines are usually anything but teenage reality.

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SM: How have you changed as artists since 2012?

AW: When we first wrote Riverview High, it was the greatest creative adventure that either of us had ever embarked on. Although I had dabbled with creative writing and Stewart had music-directed a number of theatre productions prior to Riverview High, neither of us ever wrote a musical before. Our inexperience showed in some of our earlier drafts of Riverview High.

However, as we progressed, we became more confident in our writing, especially after we received some positive feedback from people who participated in our workshops. Despite the successful run of Riverview High in Vancouver Fringe 2012 and the remount in 2013, we knew that we still needed to grow as writers. Since our favourite parts from Riverview High were the comedic moments, we wanted our second project to be a comedy. When the idea of turning The O.C. into a parody came up, we thought that would be the perfect show for us to write as it allowed our imaginations to run completely wild.

The process of writing The O.C.: The Musical was different from Riverview High because we were definitely more confident in our writing abilities right from the beginning, and creatively, we were in sync. Also, since I was working in Toronto and Stewart lived in Vancouver, we had to manage our time effectively especially because our goal was to debut the show in 2015 as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Overall, we have grown tremendously as artists since 2012. We became more confident in our writing. We became less self-conscious about the ideas we would throw out there, no matter how crazy or absurd they may have sounded. We also made sure that we embraced this project with the same delirious love that we had for writing, which was so prominent during the creation of Riverview High. We’ve enjoyed every step of the creative process – from the first time we sat down and developed the outline for the The O.C.: The Musical almost two years ago to the last performance of the show in Fringe.

SM: How has your Fringe experience changed from then? Was that your first Fringe experience?

AW: Fringe is such an incredible experience. It is not only a celebration of theatre, creativity and imagination, but it is a supportive community of artists. We were very fortunate that Riverview High was so well-received in the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2012. The support we received from the community and fellow artists was life-changing. Despite our inexperience, we were embraced by our peers, and we knew that we wanted to return to the Fringe again with another show. Three years later, we’re back in our old stomping ground, the Firehall Arts Centre, and part of Fringe again. Once more, the Fringe community has shown us so much support and we are grateful to be part of this fantastic festival.

 

 

Didn’t get to see The O.C.: The Musical? Here’s your last chance, as the production is doing an encore on Thursday, September 24 at the Revue Theatre on Granville Island. For more ticket information, check out http://www.vancouverfringe.com.

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I showed up to Arts Umbrella at precisely 8:03 to see The Distance Between New Brunswick and Toronto, not realizing that a) it was after 8:00 and b) there were absolutely no late entries to Fringe shows. As the friendly lady behind the table apologetically explained that she could not let us in, another volunteer interrupted, with the kind of aggression that led me to flinch in surprise,that you can’t be late and no, we can’t give you a refund. Lesson: be on time.

Flustered, I proceeded to the box office, where a very nice volunteer said he would be happy to help us find another show. He recommended The Inventor of All Things and at 8:08 we power-walked in the direction he had pointed, hoping to get there in time for the 8:15 start.

We arrived at 8:11, only to learn another lesson: the Fringe Festival is a credit or cash only affair. Thankfully, I’m friends with real adults, who can be counted on to have more than a debit card in their backpack. Tickets obtained, memberships purchased, and with a few minutes to spare, I took a deep breath and reached for a program. On it was a man in a tub, holding a knife in one hand and a puppet in the other. “What’s this…?” I asked. “It’s the show!” the woman behind the table replied, convinced I was a moron, but determined to be nice to me.

By 8:31, I’d arrived at the conclusion that the nice man at the box office had been looking at the schedule for the previous day when he recommended the show to me. Written in chalk on the stage before me was an outline of what this play would be about: puppets and murder. Nervous and full of dread, I took my seat and prepared myself for what was to come. But to my surprise, Baker’s Dozen: 12 Angry Puppets had me laughing, smiling and nodding in agreement from start to finish.

The Baker has been found dead in a bathtub, the Candlemaker has disappeared but was definitely at the scene of the crime, and the Butcher is on trial for murder. Twelve puppets are summoned for jury duty to determine whether the Butcher killed his husband, the Baker. With their snap judgements, biases, and even indifference, those puppets had me hoping never to find myself at the mercy of a jury.

I had expected for the puppeteer to be hiding in the darkness, dressed all in black. Adam Francis Proulx, however, is very much a part of the show, without distracting from the periwinkle puppet on his right hand. Armed with only his voice, facial expressions, body language, and a single puppet, Proulx switches from one character to another with ease. Reaching into his jury box for different wigs and facial features, he creates new personas, all while moving to dramatic music. When he returns to the chair at centre stage, he–and his puppet–are transformed. With humour and creativity, one man and one puppet tell a story that reminds viewers that juries can be fallible.

And this brings me to the most important lesson I learned at the Fringe this year: if you think puppet shows are not for you, you’re wrong.

 

Baker’s Dozen: 12 Angry Puppets hit the stage at this year’s Van­cou­ver Fringe Fes­ti­val, which runs until Sept 20. For a full list­ing of Fringe events, visit the fes­ti­val web­site

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While sitting and waiting for The Wonderheads‘ new feat of wordless maskwork, The Middle of Everywhere, to start, the kindly gentleman sitting next to me asked me if I knew what the show would be about. Not expecting my unprofessional lack of research to be exposed quite that quickly, I stammered that I thought it was about “space and time and stuff?” After spending an enjoyable hour in the world of The Middle of Everywhere, I’m afraid I’m not any closer to answering my neighbour’s question.

Have you ever been stuck on public transit and imagined what would happen if some vague, unspecified disaster took place, and you were stuck with the people on your Seabus/Skytrain/bus stop for a long period of time? You would have to overcome obstacles and fight bad guys; deeply hidden aspects of your personality would come to light; and inevitably you would need to commit unspeakable acts of cannibalism to stay alive? I’ve never imagined that either. But a much cuter version of this nightmarish premise is the base of the plot of The Middle of Everywhere, in which two disparate characters meet at a bus stop and discover a strange radio dial-like device that sends them to nooks and crannies of the universe. The professor Winston (Emily Windler), wearing a sweater-vest to signify his fuddy-duddyness, finds Penny (Kate Braidwood), a young girl running away from home and described by the narrator as “whimsical.” Along the way they encounter an adorable, furry monster named Angus (Andrew Phoenix) who becomes part of their ragtag gang.

The Wonderheads’ ability to convey character through their giant painstakingly constructed masks is magical, and the level of choreography necessary to be able to interact, perform physical comedy, and even dance (in one entertaining sequence set at a disco) while wearing the heavy masks is pretty incredible. Equally creative is the use of music, sound, and lighting cues to create an imagined world in the audience’s minds–we can instantly locate the characters as they flash between a dozen different settings, despite using few props and a nearly bare stage. The use of the spotlight is best in a literally dark scene which veers between horror, comedy, and Punch and Judy, as Penny and Winston search for the monster that is never where they are trying to look.

Various indignities are heaped upon poor Winston – he puts his back out while dancing, is shot at, and gets pooped on by an invisible bird, but of course he learns to confront his fears in the ACDC-soundtracked crowd-rocking denouement. Winston and Penny travel to many strange places on their adventure. Even if The Middle of Everywhere doesn’t really go anywhere, it’s fun, sweet, and it just might make you see the stage in a new light.

 

The Middle of Everywhere hit the stage at this year’s Vancouver Fringe Fes­ti­val, which runs until Sept 20. For a full list­ing of upcom­ing Fringe events, visit the fes­ti­val web­site

For the Vancouver Fringe Festival this year, I really wanted to see some comedy. After scrolling through the program guide I came across Peter n’ Chris (Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson) and their self-written play Here Lies Chris. These two Canadian comics are veterans of the Canadian Fringe circuit and have also appeared in the Just for Laughs Festival.

The show took place at the Pacific Theatre on 12th Avenue, a very cool space tucked away in the corner of an old church building. The crowd was warm and friendly, a solid group of typical smiling Fringe-goers. I sat high up the risers and waited anxiously to see what would come my way.

Peter and Chris walk out while performing a lip sync and dance number set to “Some Nights” by Fun–a perfect introduction to the folly of these two comics. Their sketch show is loose and leaves lots of room for improvisation. First an foremost, Here Lies Chris is an initiation into sketch comedy as a genre (they begin with a ‘lesson in sketch’). But as the show opens up, it transforms into an intergalactic journey.

There’s a touch of the chaotic as Peter and Chris run up and down risers, talking from off-stage during the performance. After much drama–and even an on-stage shooting–the audience learns that Chris has recently moved to Toronto, leaving Peter alone in Vancouver. This heartbreak moves the play towards its conclusion, which ends with Peter and Chris grieving their separation.

It was clear from the moment I sat down that Peter and Chris are seasoned improvisers. With great timing and writing, Here Lies Chris is enjoyable to the tragic end.

 

Peter N’ Chris Present: Here Lies Chris is part of the 2015 Vancouver Fringe Festival, which runs until Sept 20. For a full listing of upcoming Fringe events, visit the festival website

 

climb_image_croppedAn aerial rope is a surprisingly diverse prop. Accompanied onstage by only two plain white folding chairs, some sheets, and a small blue ball, the aerial rope ascends into the rafters, drawing the eye up and revealing a terrifying mass of negative space. In CLIMB, Esther de Monteflores commands that space with ease, twisting the aerial rope to her every need. De Monteflores’s range of expression with a singular rope is both impressive and stunningly beautiful, bringing meaning to the constant coiling and uncoiling of the rope. At times a cradle, a crutch, and at others a restraint, its tail end thumps against the stage like a unifying heartbeat.

De Monteflores’s acrobatics are accompanied by Meredith Hambrock’s brilliant writing in the form of voice over, bringing five different moments to life through movement, sound, and story. Hambrock’s vignettes are equal parts poetic, profound, and tragically hilarious. The decision to alternate narrators was refreshing for such a visual performance, though it did impede slightly on the cohesion of the different stories. Nonetheless, each narrative was compelling in its content and its interpretation by de Monteflores.

While the story for Adolescence was my personal favourite (it’s too good to be spoiled here), de Monteflores’s treatment of Old Age was nuanced, a delicate balance of vulnerability, delicacy, and grace. The choice to switch from aerial rope to slack rope here was apt. The switch over made for a fitting conclusion, though it would have been nice to have seen more slack rope throughout the performance, considering de Monteflores’s mastery of it.

De Monteflores’s physical performance and Hambrock’s story are strung together beautifully by Aaron Read’s score; the tension and drama of the string instruments function as a perfect parallel to de Monteflores’s use of the aerial and slack rope.

Another unexpected delight was the decision to keep de Monteflores on stage during costume changes. The choice makes sense from a practical standpoint, but also brought an intimacy to the actions. These moments turned audience members into voyeurs, enhanced by Hambrock’s eerie narration: “at any given moment you are being watched.”

For both veterans of acrobatics, and newcomers like myself, CLIMB offers a compelling, intimate, and lovably weird alternative to the way we normally experience stories and will certainly be a standout at this year’s Fringe.

 

CLIMB is part of the 2015 Vancouver Fringe Festival and can be seen at the Cultch Historic Theatre until September 20. Tickets are available online. For more on the Fringe, check out the festival website.