I was so happy to have my fiancé Kyle with me for a whole day of Fringe! One of the more fun parts about planning Fringe is seeing what show’s he’ll be interested in and working those into m schedule. We saw four shows, one review of those will be in Intermission Magazine, and the rest you’ll find below!

Are You Lovin’ It? – Theatre Group GUMBO

Ba-da ba ba ba! Are You Lovin’ It? Combining clown and satire with a Japanese flair, this intriguing show leaves no one’s culture untouched by their criticisms, even their own. Taking place at everyone’s favourite restaurant, WacDonald’s, Are You Lovin’ It? uses plenty of audience participation and classic physical comedy to create a non-stop laugh riot!

Kayo Tamura, Ryo Nishihara, and Nono Miyasaka play everything from a twisted Ronald MacDonald to an overworked Japanese businessman, a tired mother to Jesus Christ himself. With their no-holds-barred approach, everything from Japanese stereotypes, the MacDonald’s menu, and US presidents past and present are all targets for their comedy. Their energetic performances keep the audience on their toes throughout the show; the stamina they must have to be so high energy the entire time is bewildering.

An aspect of the clown shows I’ve been seeing at Fringe this year is how despite the silliness of the clowning itself, there’s always at least one element of the production which is very emotionally charged and deep. In this case, we had to think of something unnecessary about ourselves, and “throw” it into a giant cup, which they then blended all together to make us one. There is something so cathartic about speaking out those insecurities, and to blend them all together and understand that we all have something that we threw away felt comforting.

Are You Lovin’ It? is a wild ride, but you’ll certainly laugh a great deal, and maybe even learn a bit about yourself in the process! I love getting to see international productions at Fringe; it opens our minds to new and exciting things right in our own back yard!

Are you lovin’ it? | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

Boy Boy and the Magic Drum – Under A Grove Productions

Are you ready for the Peace Parade? It’s only the event of the year! But when the factory shuts down and there’s no electricity, it’s up to Boy Boy to save the Parade. This new musical, based on the children’s book of the same name by Machel Montano, is a magical tale of community, strength, and the power of music. The catchy songs, vibrant design, and stellar performances make Boy Boy and the Magic Drum a delight for audience members of all ages.

Boy Boy is the smallest boy in his class, and the only kid without a cell phone. What Boy Boy does have, is a sense of curiosity and imagination. In Trinidad, where Boy Boy lives, the Peace Parade is the best part of the Carnival season, and he goes with his family every year! But the factory which helps to keep the island running mysteriously shuts down, so the adults cancel the parade. Boy Boy meets a man playing dominoes in the street, and suddenly this man begins to pop up everywhere Boy Boy goes! The man gives Boy Boy an old steel pan drum, full of the classic sounds of the island. With this Boy Boy can save the Peace Parade! But will he be able to figure out the drum’s magic in time?

The cast assembled for this production is stellar: Astrid Atherly, Robert Ball, Randy (Lei) Chang, Charlie Clements, Tkaia Green, Gabriel Hudson, Karen Jewels, Vandana Maharaj, Siobhan Richardson, Daniel Yeh. They truly bring Jewelle Blackman and Chantal Forde’s enchanting script to life. Their vivacity is infectious; I couldn’t help but to sing and dance along with the music.

Gather your family and your friends and take a trip to Trinidad with Boy Boy and the Magic Drum. You’ll be dancing your way home!

Boy Boy and The Magic Drum | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

AbracadabraHaHa – Fish the Magish

In the mood for a classic comedy magic show? Then do we have the show for you! AbracadabraHaHa stars Rob Fishbaum, or Fish the Magish, and he’s ready to dazzle and delight with both his “meh” comedy and “meh” magic skills. I happened to attend his Rated R performance, which honestly was tamer than I had assumed an adult performance would be. However, there were plenty of laughs and mind-boggling illusions which kept the audience in awe all evening.

As with most magic shows, there was a fair bit of audience participation involved with AbracadabraHaHa, Fish even makes it a bit of a family affair on occasion! My favourite was that he had an audience member sit on stage almost the entire time at a tiny drum set to do rim shots after each joke…or it was supposed to be after each joke, Justin was off on a few jokes! The audience participation aspect is always fun, and there were several brave souls who volunteered to be a part of the show, and it looked like they were having a really fun time.

I really enjoyed the mix of classic illusions and more unique ones; it shows Fishbaum’s range while also letting us in on how some of the more well-known illusions are done. My favourite, and I still have no clue how it’s done, was one where he used several Rubiks cubes for the trick. I won’t spoil the illusion for you, because you really should go and check it out for yourself, but let me just say that both my fiancé and I were still puzzled by this illusion the next morning.

AbracadabraHaHa is a fun show for the whole family. Be prepared to laugh, ooh, and ah, at Fish the Magish and his impressive illusions.

AbracadabraHaHa | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

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