EXORCISTIC: the Rock Musical Parody Experiment

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the final performance of Exorcistic: The Rock Musical Parody Experiment. Albeit, I always make a point of attending the Orgasmico Theater Company's performances and each every time have found the writing, the performances, and the overall production superbly done, I must admit that this show in particular was entered into with some reserve. The Exorcist is, and always has been, my favorite film. A parody must both entertain in its own right, while also paying proper respect and homage to its source material. For Exorcistic to ride that line, and do it without disappointment when delving into a work that I hold in such high regard, seemed a daunting task. My reservations, however, were whol... full review

Really impressive work pretty much all around. It's so ambitious and the band and singers are all really fun. Lots of talent in this one. The thing that interested me the most was how the parody extended to the film's contemplation of evil, and how the suspicion of those ideas seems to double back on everyone involved. There's something big there that connects the parody take to the meta framing device and elevates the whole thing. It ended up making me think about our impulse to parody unsettling material...why we need to do it in the first place.... full review

When Michael Shaw Fisher walks out to introduce Exorcistic at its Fringe Mainstage home, it takes a few minutes before you realize that the musical has actually begun. Already knee deep in the show-within-a-show concept, he explains that this is a workshop presentation of his world premiere rock musical as backstage business becomes part of the onstage action. Over the next 80 minutes the show will progress from The Staged Reading to The Fringe to The Pantages as a theatre company mounts a musical parody production of The Exorcist and unwittingly unleashes a demonic force that takes over and leads them through an Exorcist-inspired series of deadly events. Book, music & lyrics are by Fisher and the show features a 70s rock score, full ... full review

A rock musical retelling of The Exorcist. It's ALSO about the theater troupe putting ON the rock musical retelling of The Exorcist; this makes it overlong and overcomplicated, and I wish that angle had been cut entirely. The songs are fun, though they eventually become indistinguishable. It's the cast that makes this show- very talented, with especially impressive belting from the lead. It's a good time. fringeblog.webs.com ... full review

Paul Birchall's Stage and Cinema review: "A HEAD SPINNINGLY GOOD EXORCIST ROMP THAT DOESN’T SUCK C#CKS IN HELL." See review here: http://www.stageandcinema.com/2013/06/14/exorcistic-a-rock-musical-orgasmico-hollywood-fringe/... full review