Beyond the Fringe
The just-closed Hollywood Fringe Festival received plenty of accolades from journalists, local theater folks, and observers. The consensus appears to be that the highly ambitious two-week happening, featuring over 160 theatrical presentations, including a surprising number of international offerings, was a roaring success.
Not since L.A.'s fondly remembered EdgeFest, which flourished briefly several years ago, but sadly failed to survive, has there been this much buzz about a community-wide venture such as this. The well attended Hollywood fest featured panel discussions, parties, networking opportunities, and lots of other beneficial elements, offering sheer joy to theatergoers with voracious appetites, who spread jubilant reports about many of the shows they saw. May the festival prosper and grow in years to come.
I must confess that my participation was much less than I would have liked during this kickoff year, due to other on-the-job duties at the office and a full slate of shows to cover in my regular reviewing beat. Weekly local openings did not let up a bit during the Fringe frenzy. I did manage to catch three of the Fringe offerings. I reviewed one none too enthusiastically, so I'll let it go at that. No need to offer further critique. I went nuts over writer-performer Jeff Gardner's ingenious satire of the boob tube culture, "Kill Your Television," featuring the inspired physical and intellectual comedy of Gardner's portrayal, and I expressed my enthusiasm in a review published in Back Stage and LA Weekly.
But the best of fest as far as I'm concerned came last. On closing day, I ventured out to catch what turned out to be an irresistible personal vehicle featuring a prodigiously talented performer. I had heard adulatory comments from several people about "Unbuttoned" (presented at the Lounge Theatre). And boy were they correct.
This enchanting biographical musing, related in song and story, was fashioned by gifted Bavarian-born actor-singer Andreas Beckett (pictured) and his illustrious collaborators--veteran television writer-composer-producers Mitzie Welch (who co-wrote with Beckett and directed) and her husband Ken Welch (who music directed). Their countless impressive credits include 14 Emmys and years of work on CBS's "The Carol Burnett Show." Add in the sublime piano accompaniment of Mikael Oganesian, and the recipe was complete. Beckett's captivating mix of candid personal revelations, sharp comedy, heart-wrenching drama and his terrific crooning of great tunes--Broadway and beyond--offered a little more than an hour of unforgettable entertainment. I found myself wishing it continued for at least another hour.
Beckett, who immigrated from Germany, boasts impressive credits in all media. Here he gets a chance to strut his stuff as a cabaret headliner, comedic and dramatic actor, and charming bon vivant all rolled into one. Swooning ladies clearly were enraptured by the charismatic Beckett, and he wisely pulls willing audience members into the action while relating his sometimes amusing and sometimes a bit startling escapades with the women he had loved. He includes candid details about his too-fervent love for Bavarian beer and the troubles that brought to his life, as well as some legal wrangles and even an unwarranted imprisonment, and his journey to discovering the true meaning of love following the birth of his adored son.
It's baffling to me why this great show featuring a multitalented performer didn't get more Festival attention. Here's hoping Beckett returns in this show, as well as other musical and dramatic stage roles. I just discovered that he is appearing in a production of "Master Class" at Topanga's outdoors Theatricum Botanicum, alongside the wonderful Ellen Geer, who stars as opera diva Maria Callas (July 3-Sept. 25). Be sure to watch for him in his future projects. This guy's the real deal, and I believe the best of his career is yet to come.
--Les Spindle
Comments