Excessive pride in my hitherto unlimited intake ability received its long
overdue comeuppance when the Edinburgh Fringe program landed on my desk
today with a thud... 216 pages in FT-microscopic type. My original plan
of four days for the EIF proper *and* the Fringe suddenly looks utterly
ridiculous.
Within just 4-26 August, Fringe 2002 offers over 20,000 performances of
1,500 shows. That's more than enough, even for me, ready as I am to take
in "Jerry Springer" and "Parsifal" the same day.
In the Fringe music category alone (while theater remains the leading genre
by far), there are scores of attractive/promising/"unusual" items, besides
"Springer":
* "Figaro's," by Company of Ten, "A cocktail-shaking musical based on the
Mozart opera. The story takes place in a London nightclub where nothing
is quite what it seems. Lechery and two-timing have never been so
entertaining."
* "Le Nozze" proper, by Palace Opera.
* Sondheim's "Assassins," "Merrily We Roll Along" and "Side by Side."
* "5678 - Angel Kitty" - Death lurks in the London School of Performing
Arts, doing away with "Fame!" types.
* "Dido and Aeneas" in a concert with other Purcell works and contemporary
music.
* Who but the Swiss - "William Tell, a Musical," performed by the Swiss
Church Music School of London
* Southside Productions' "Anonimo Napoletano" - "a Scottish woman, a
Neapolitan man, incapable of telling each other's love, they rely on an
interpreter, arbiter of their destiny. Featuring Neapolitan music, drama,
suspense, fantasy and a surprising ending." [I bet.]
*"Bollywood Nights" - "A retrospective of one of Hindi Cinemas biggest and
brightest stars Shah Rukh Khan - Asoka (16/8), Devdas (17/8) premiered at
Cannes this year, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (23/8), and, to celebrate
Shah Rukh's visit to Edinburgh, he will be introducing Kabhi Khushi Kabhi
Gham - 3KG - at George Square Theatre on 24th August." [While I am missing
out on Ali Akbar Khan in Marin...:(]
* A Sing-It Yourself "Carmen," produced by Bohemians/Waverly Care. Come
to Mayfield Salisbury at 2 p.m. to learn a role, perform at 7:30. Hey!
It worked for "Messiah."
* Two shows about Jenny Lind - "Queen Victoria's Songbird" and "The
Nightingale at Song," both by Rhonda Bachmann and Peter Gellhorn.
Janos Gereben/SF
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