I was beaten to the punch. Another local Ottawa blogger has already put out a pretty stellar list of things to see at the Calgary Fringe this year AND HE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO BE HERE! So go ahead. Click the link and see what The Visitor has to say. See if I care. I'm just going to go ahead and put out an almost identical list below.
Actually, the main difference with his list and mine is that he's actually seen all of those shows, whereas I've been saving up until Calgary to finally catch them all.
So without further ado, here's what I think should not be missed at the 2010 Calgary Fringe Festival (have you downloaded the App yet?)
Of course, you just HAVE to come and see The Last Goddamned Performance Piece, featuring yours truly and the incredibly talented Ben Meuser. The show goes from hilarious to touching to hilarious again in 2.5 scenes. And everything will go wrong due to the actions of a certain ass-faced ex-boyfriend. You will enjoy yourself, I promise!
Actionable - This show has gotten a lot of buzz throughout the Fringe Festival Circuit, in no small part to Bob Wiseman's history with Blue Rodeo and the fascinating subject matter. There are already three or four Calgary Fringe preview articles that include him as a show to see. On a personal note, I just met him in a Starbucks in Calgary and he was really nice.
Antoine Feval - The incredibly funny Chris Gibbs (who I saw in Toronto recently and had no clue he would be here as well) has another one man show that I am just dying to see after the brilliance that was The Power of Ignorance, which I saw at the Big Comedy Go-To in London two years ago.
Dale Beaner and the Turtle Boy - missed this Best in Venue winner in Ottawa and again in Toronto. I was thrilled when I looked at the program and saw it was here. Caught the two guys in this show at the Midnight Cabaret in Ottawa and vowed that I would see this show if it was the last thing I do!
Phone Whore - Cameryn Moore has pretty much been doing the entire Fringe circuit and I promised myself I would see her show in Calgary. Everyone I've talked to who has seen this show has been affected by it and I can't wait!
SEEKING - The cast has changed and now includes Ottawa locals Zach Counsil (who is my stage manager for The Last Goddamned Performance Piece) and my former doppleganger Celine Filion (which Ottawa audiences will remember for her turn in TLGPP). You can be sure I'll be there to support them with this new incarnation of the show.
The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over - I saw the amazing Gemma Wilcox last year in Ottawa when she did Shadows in Bloom and regretted never having seen this one when it was in town a few years prior. You have no idea how happy I was when I realized that it was being put on at this festival. The woman is a veritable chameleon. She will quite simply blow your mind.
The Peter n' Chris Show! with Peter n' Chris!! - won best duo at the Ottawa Fringe Festival. I have a soft spot for people who are vain enough to repeat their own name twice in their show title. Oh and EXCLAMATION MARKS! I honestly don't know what this show is about, but I do know they bring on the funny. I like the funny.
And last, but not least, one of my most favourite Fringe performers of all time, my dirrty muppet and yours! Mr. Paul Hutcheson and Third Time Lucky - This show is Rated "R" for "Rock Your World" - This is the one show that I absolutely, 110% DO NOT WANT TO MISS!! (you know, except for mine...)
If there's anything at this festival you feel I should have mentioned, please feel free to bring it up in the comments section.
I'll be seeing you at the theatre! (or the bar...)