{"id":352,"date":"2026-05-11T11:35:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=352"},"modified":"2026-05-11T11:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:35:19","slug":"orlando-fringe-festival-reviews-an-ogre-a-warning-a-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=352","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Fringe Festival reviews: An ogre, a warning, a murder"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Here are Orlando Fringe Festival reviews of \u201cMacShrek: The Comedy of Ogres,\u201d \u201cMiss Bellas,\u201d \u201cQueer,\u201d \u201cSororicide\u201d and \u201cUnconditionally: The Ultimate Pop Diva Celebration Starring Kayla Fischl,\u201d all seen in previews.<\/p>\n

Read more Some of Florida\u2019s biggest lottery winners are store owners, clerks who sell the tickets<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018MacShrek\u2019<\/h4>\n

Writer Justin M G. Hughes has combined two Scottish icons, sort of, into one show with \u201cMacShrek: The Comedy of Ogres\u201d (Yellow, 60 minutes). Yes, everybody\u2019s favorite ogre meets Shakespeare\u2019s Macbeth in a retelling of the animated movie about the lovable swamp creature.<\/p>\n

The show lands solid laughs, both of the verbal and physical kind \u2014 a bit with characters climbing through a window is particularly memorable. And it scores with pop-culture allusions, included \u201cWicked,\u201d \u201cTangled\u201d and \u201cA Charlie Brown Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMacbeth\u201d is mainly represented by an appearance from the Witches, which is quite funny and left me wanting more references to the Scottish play. Other Shakespearean names and tropes arise, but are never integrated quite as cleverly as they could be. Still, it\u2019s a good-natured lark.<\/p>\n

\u2018Miss Bellas\u2019<\/h4>\n

Giselle Bellas goes for high-concept, along with high style in \u201cMiss Bellas\u201d (Renaissance Theatre, 60 minutes) with compelling results that serve as a warning about creating an us vs. them divide in society. Bellas wrote, directed and stars in the musical, set in a near-future authoritarian nation where the haves and have-nots \u2014 growing ever further apart \u2014 are separated by a wall. Entertainment icon Miss Bellas, definitely among the haves, hosts a benefit for the poor \u2014 but is she actually helping?<\/p>\n

The messages the show conveys intrigue, especially when they point a condemning figure at artists themselves. Miss Bellas sings her songs, arms raised in supplication like Evita on her balcony and as oblivous to the collapsing world around her as Sally Bowles was in prewar Germany. And while she considers \u201cart is essential,\u201d at what cost? Forgetting your heritage? Forgetting your humanity?<\/p>\n

Director Andr\u00e9s L\u00f3pez-Alicea keeps the action moving.\u00a0Bellas is a strong performer, with an equally strong singing voice, and in co-star AJ Morales, as her conflicted assistant, she has a compelling yin to her yang. His character raises other ideas: Is it better to lead a revolution from within or without?<\/p>\n

The original music by Bellas, Francisco Valentin Ocasio and Adam Tilzer captivates and suits the tone of the piece. Pat Christodulidis, with an assist from Kylee Taylor\u2019s decadent-emphasizing lighting and an imposing headress by Nicole Lapeyrouse, has created a striking design.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

One video segment was so artistically and sonically distorted as to become confusing, but that\u2019s a minor misstep. \u201cMiss Bellas\u201d should be one of the most buzzed-about shows at the fest.<\/p>\n

\u2018Queer!\u2019<\/h4>\n

LGBTQ+ Central Floridians will undoubtedly be drawn to \u201cQueer!\u201d (Silver, 70 minutes) but I hope straight theatergoers with open minds will check it out, too. Presented by Descolonizarte Teatro, \u201cQueer!\u201d is a humanizing look at what it is like to discover a same-sex attraction.<\/p>\n

These five performers aren\u2019t \u201cthem\u201d or \u201cothers\u201d \u2014 in their straightforward stories directed by Nadia Garzon, they are us, our neighbors, friends and family. Mimi Batista, Leandra \u201cSlim\u201d Diaz, Jon Jimenez, Natalia Soler and Alejandro \u201cNico Speed\u201d Montano share personal recollections of their journeys to self-acceptance with artistry and emotional honesty.<\/p>\n

Read more Orlando Sentinel 150: Monday Memory of how, why and where did Orlando get its swans<\/a><\/p>\n

Movement, songs, tableaux, pantomime, vocal echoes \u2014 all enhance the storytelling. One could wish for a wider emotional variation in some of the anecdotes: A little more humor, a little more pathos. But this is heartfelt and a lovely mix of the artistic with the authentic.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Sororicide\u2019<\/h4>\n

The president of a Delta Nu sorority chapter has been murdered, and the sisters are going to get to the bottom of it in \u201cSororicide\u201d (Green, 60 minutes).<\/p>\n

Writer-directors Rheanne Walton and Savana Petranoff play their plot for laughs, with a stable of stock characters. While the sisters all do nice work inhabiting their stereotypes, Jan Martinez and John Malley are particularly on point as a couple of dim-bulb frat brahs.<\/p>\n

There is fun to be had here \u2014 a bad poetry interlude is particularly silly \u2014 though the pace feels off in places; nonsense like this needs to zip along without pauses. I wish the writers had studied up on Agatha Christie to make the mystery\u2019s solution \u2014 partly determined by the audience \u2014 more compelling, but this is entertaining fluff.<\/p>\n

\u2018Unconditionally\u2019<\/h4>\n

Finally, in \u201cUnconditionally,\u201d Kayla Fischl leads \u201cthe ultimate pop diva celebration.\u201d Fischl tells us straight up she\u2019s developing this show for cruise ships, and that\u2019s the feel of it. She belts her way through medleys of hits by Lady Gaga, Adele and Katy Perry with energy.<\/p>\n

A costume change breaks the flow and feels unnecessary, some of the recorded medley tracks could have smoother transitions between songs, and a bit with inflatable beach balls is fun but leaves the audience wondering how long they should continue batting them around.<\/p>\n

Can I picture this on a cruise ship someday, though? With some refining, absolutely.<\/p>\n

mpalm@orlandosentinel.com<\/em><\/p>\n

Orlando Fringe Festival<\/h3>\n

\u2022 Where:<\/strong> Shows at Loch Haven Park are in color-coded venues; off-campus locations are identified by name.<\/p>\n

\u2022 When:<\/strong> May 12-25.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Cost:<\/strong> $10 button required for ticketed shows, then individual performance tickets are no more than $15.<\/p>\n

Read more Pictures: Trump in The Villages<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Schedule, tickets, more info:<\/strong> OrlandoFringe.org<\/p>\n

\u2022 More reviews: <\/strong>OrlandoSentinel.com\/fringe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Orlando Fringe Festival reviews: MacShrek, Miss Bellas, Queer, Sororicide, Unconditionally: The Ultimate Pop Diva Celebration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theater","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nOrlando Fringe Festival reviews: An ogre, a warning, a murder - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=352\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orlando Fringe Festival reviews: An ogre, a warning, a murder - 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