Day one of the Rochester Fringe Festival kicked off last night, Tuesday, September 15, with showings of some of the main fringe-curated attractions. Those shows proved both irreverent and heartwarming. Here’s what we saw:
Cirque du Fringe: Anchors Away
Near the end of Cirque du Fringe: Anchors Away, when Detective Thomas Magnum is about to reveal the murderer in this wacky cruise-ship murder-mystery acrobat show, he sums it up with witty reflexiveness as “a frivolous night of cruise ship fun.” The cruise ship and murder are, indeed, a frivolous setup for watching skilled acrobats perform dangerous stunts, from hanging off the Spiegeltent ceiling in contorted positions to grounded but treacherous balancing acts to reforming an everyday jump rope into a whirlwind lasso. Several acrobats were dressed as nautical characters, including a sailor, lifeguard, and mermaid. There was also, randomly, a Fabio twirling shirtless in the air, as well as a mystery woman in a sparkling black dress balancing glass and other items off a slender knife. The acrobats and specialty acts were only loosely relevant to the show’s plot. A newly introduced Chief Inspector at the end was just a ruse to watch another acrobat balance on ever-higher placed spherical objects, at one point juggling knives at the same time.
It works because Heidi and Matt Morgan, the show’s creators, bring a heaping dose of irreverence. As Hastings the Third and Detective Magnum—both with fake mustaches that barely stay affixed to their faces—they lead the audience through the discovery of an on-board murder and serve as a comedy duo between the circus acts. Clearly familiar with Rochester, they wove in jokes about Kodak sinking and the newly named Lake America. Using audience interaction, they pull incriminating items from under audience members’ seats and out of their pockets. Their swift improvisational chops enabled them to respond in real time to their audience victims’ reactions, turning every word and action into satire. And although the cruise directors are no longer as sprightly as their acrobatic cast members, they also performed an acrobatic skit, balancing off each other with naughty grabs and poses.
The cast’s kids also got a moment to shine after intermission, showing off their juggling, cup tricks, and disappearing acts. They’re still learning. Tuesday’s audience warmly supported a young boy whose yo-yo string got tangled. Once it was fixed, he threw the rolling hourglass object high in the air and caught it back on the string. He received roaring applause.
The show dispenses with the elegance of Cirque du Soleil but retains the spectacle, all with slapstick humor. The world-premiere show has 11 more showings at Rochester Fringe, through the festival’s final Saturday, so there’s plenty of time to discover the cruise-ship killer.
—Anna Reguero
“For my last song, I will do something off my new album.”
Hold for applause, and we’re off on a funny, sometimes silly, and finally touching hour with the long-locked and suave Carl Poteraychke in silver sequined shoes, who tells us he’s the best lounge singer in Argentina, and his sound man, Song Boy. It starts quietly, as Poteraychke works the crowd—a flirty piece of popcorn, a discussion of the various Buffalo Bills gear seen there (“Any other animals?”), a pause in the action for latecomers, who are effusively greeted. This is a man who loves his audience and really wants us to love him back. There’s a little matchmaking (maybe for him?), a lot of flirting, a dance to the Bangles with Cleopatra, a poll of parents for their number of children, a little Q & A with audience members that doesn’t always go smoothly (“Is that sarcasm?” he asks one respondent.)
And then there’s the song: a lip-sync to the Commodores’ “Just to Be Close to You,” which somehow never quite gets finished. The lights flicker, the sound levels vary, the wrong song begins, the song stops, the microphone fails. A big introduction to his father, Gustavo, who has somehow disappeared. And, invariably, Song Boy gets the blame from an increasingly irritated Poteraychke, who just wants to end his show with his Last Big Number.
But in the end, it isn’t the song that matters—it’s the connection between Poteraychke and the audience that’s important. And there’s the core of this charming show. It’s about our need to connect, to touch a heart, to remember a loved one. There might even be a tear in our eyes.
A hint: the magic word is “Encore.” Try it and see what happens.
“Just to Be Close to You” has performances nightly (except Monday) through Saturday, September 26, in the Garden Studio.
—Julia Figueras
Rochester Overture will be covering the Rochester Fringe Festival throughout its 12-day run, with reviews, photography, and more. Follow all of our Fringe coverage at rochesteroverture.com/fringe. Follow our socials on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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