Erik Blair

Anna St. Hesia Dreams

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
This is a production that is very small and simple in its design. And yet the plot is very complex and something that doesn't come together until the very last moments of the show. And that's a rare treat--a show that can be small and simple and yet complex and interesting. Combine that with a dynamite performance and you've got something special.... full review

Alive-ish

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
Man, what an interesting experience it was to see this show. I wasn't clear when I came in exactly what it was I was going to see--and that made it all the more interesting to watch this combination of live music and dance and monologues. All told something very different and unique.... full review

Uprooted

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
An astonishing show. Literally, that's all I have to say about this one.... full review

The Mayor's Debate of Tranquility, Nebraska

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
There is something so dark and so delicious at the core of this production that I can't effectively describe it in a review. Saying ANYTHING about the plot itself will destroy one of the best surprises that I've seen in any Fringe show this year. Jim Hanna has put together a show that's incredibly funny, dark, bitter and then goes places I would NEVER have expected. I sincerely hope this show both extends and gets a chance to move elsewhere (like New York). It 100% deserves it.... full review

Lincoln 2020

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
I honestly did not expect to enjoy a show about Lincoln somehow being a presidential candidate in 2020. BOY, was I wrong. BOY WAS I WRONG. This show is exceptionally funny, goofy in all the right ways, manages to infuse some deep political satire and cautionary flags--all in a comedy that was so good the person next to me (who had another show scheduled and had asked me to tell him how it ended later) ended up staying to see the ENTIRE thing. That's a good damn show. ... full review

Jamba Juice: The Musical

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
As always, Spencer has brought a goofy, different, interesting show to Fringe and it's completely worth seeing by anyone of any stripe. Ignore reviews that attempt to dismantle it because in all sincerity, they have no idea what they're talking about. This is designed to be goofy and have a fun time--and that's what it accomplishes.... full review

Dandy Darkly's All Aboard!

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLE experience. 100% one of the best productions I've seen at this year's Fringe. Dandy tells amazing stories in absolute perfection and I could not stop talking about the show for the rest of the night I saw it.... full review

GOLDFISH

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
I think this is a very interesting show with a cast that mostly knocked it out of the park.... full review

MONKEY MIND

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
I think the musical overall is really interesting and different. I found the monkey characters to be a fascinating way of trying to externalize the voices we all have in our heads. All in all, I think it's a great first version of a musical. I think it needs more shaping and fine-tuning to be fantastic but I liked what I saw.... full review

LORD OF THE LIES

erik blair · June 29, 2019 certified reviewer
I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I came to see this show. Leaving it, I'm -still- not entirely certain what I saw. Was this a show trying to persuade me the earth is flat (which I don't believe based on my OWN experiments as a kid)? Does the author still actually even believe that? I left with a lot of thoughts and no clear answer. But boy, was it a hell of a ride.... full review

erik blair