FringeNYC 2011 - Your Personal Guide to The 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival

Apple Technology Used in FringeNYC Shows:

A Panel I'll be Moderating on August 17th at 7:00 pm at the

Apple Store by Lincoln Center (Broadway & 67th Street)

This Page Was Most Recently Updated: Wednesday August 17th 2011

FringeNYC is cool, and Apple Computer is cool; so Apple has chosen to reflect this by hosting a panel on FringeNYC shows that use Apple technology as an integral part of their theatrics.

The panel will take place on Wednesday, August 17th at 7:00 pm at the elegant Apple Store at Broadway and 67th Street, by Lincoln Center. Apple was kind enough to ask me to moderate, so please feel highly encouraged to attend the only time during the festival when I'll be on stage instead of watching shows.

Four productions will be participating in the panel: Theatre of the Arcade, When the Sky Breaks 3D, The Legend of Julie-Taymor, and Technodoulia Dot Com. Here's the pre-fest information I have so far on these highly promising FringeNYC extravaganzas:

Live dramatizations of Donkey Kong and Pac-Man from video game-based play Theatre of the Arcade

Theatre of the Arcade: Five Classic Video Games Adapted for the Stage: This show's own description says it best: "An apelike brute holds an innocent young woman captive and hurls obstacles at anyone who dares approach. A glutton eats everything in sight while running away from the ghosts that haunt him. Are these the plots of classic video games, or are they searing narratives of modernist drama? This collection of short plays explores what happens when stories born of the arcade are given the high literary respect and dramaturgical rigor they deserve."

The show is directed by Gyda Arber, who is loved by pretty much everyone in indie theatre. By coincidence, on July 25th 2011 another game-related show Arber directed garnered a rave review from The New York Times, which said in part "Call it avant-garde performance art. Call it whatever you want. I just call it brilliant." (To read the full write-up, please click here.) Between the clever high concept and Garber's immense talent, this show is likely to be one of the festival's big hits.

Meanwhile, if you'd like to prepare for the show, please click here.

Scenes from the dance production When the Sky Breaks 3D

When the Sky Breaks: A 3D Hip-Hop Experience: An all-gal group rocks the house when "old school hip-hop meets cutting-edge 3D technology in this explosive dance performance." Yes, 3D glasses will be provided. So will an international collection of dancers that The New Yorker has proclaimed "pioneering" and "a fearless coaltion of B-girls." Like the all-gal dance production COBU, this show is expected to be a major highlight of the festival.

For a kinetic video teaser, please click here.

The poster of the musical comedy/tragedy The Legend of Julie-Taymor

The Legend of Julie-Taymor: The Musical That Killed Everybody!: The title pretty much says it. This musical about a musical "tells the story of the rise and fall of director Julie Taymor and the behind-the-scenes scandals of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark which has become a modern Broadway legend. This high-energy rock musical rips straight from the headlines and follows Julie's course through the most expensive Broadway musical of all time, facing financial problems, actor injuries, technical malfunctions, opening delays, and scathing reviews, all while battling her arch-nemesis, an unrelenting theatre columnist." Songs include Broadway’s Burning, Boy Falls From The Rafters, 65 Million!, Julie Julie Why Did You Hurt Me?, Tweet Tweet Tweet!, and Julie’s Turn.

A lot of folks will be keeping an ear out for buzz on this high concept show, which debuts on FringeNYC's opening day, Friday August 12th, at 5:00 pm. (And yes, I've already nabbed my ticket...) The only solid bit of information I have at this point is that Taymor will be played by original Avenue Q cast member Jennifer Barnhart:

That said, how far wrong can any show go with Jennifer Barnhart fronting it? Crossing fingers for greatness.

Riley Teahan (above) and other performers tell all about their relationship with social media in Technodoulia Dot Com

Technodoulia Dot Com: A mix of interviews and scripted scenes, this show explores how our relationships and everyday lives have been changed by social media and the Web. I don't know much else about it yet, but you can find a video sneak peek by clicking here.

Again, hope you can come to the Apple Store near Lincoln Center (Broadway & 67th Street) on Wednesday, August 17th at 7:00 pm to enjoy an insider's look at the creators of these fascinating productions; and to hear a lively discussion about how they're using Apple technology to help make their shows come to life.

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Introduction to FringeNYC 2011

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What's In A Name?

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Apple Panel on August 17th