Orlando Fringe Festival Patrons’ Picks schedule for Memorial Day

Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel
Updated ·4 min read

The Orlando Fringe Festival’s Memorial Day schedule is being decided as officials determine the 2023 Patrons’ Picks. Each year, the two shows that sell the most tickets in each Fringe-managed venue are dubbed that year’s Patrons’ Picks and present an additional show on the festival’s final day, Monday.

In addition to Monday’s encore productions, the lawn at Loch Haven Park still has free entertainment and food and drink available for purchase. The two-week festival ends with a closing ceremony and presentation of awards.

Patrons’ Picks are announced at facebook.com/OrlandoFringeFestival. Here’s a sampling of Patrons’ Picks shows that had been determined by press time, including the color-coded Fringe venues in which each will be performed.

Noon: “How I Met My Mother” (Pink venue, 60 minutes, highly recommended). Jon Paterson weaves a humorous, relatable and poignant story of his relationship with his mom from rebellious teen years to his later role as her caregiver. I called it “the type of Fringe show a critic hopes for.” This is not an official Patrons’ Pick, but a special presentation with ticket proceeds benefiting the Central & North Florida Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Orlando Fringe.

1:10 p.m.: “The Old Man and the Old Moon” (Teal venue at 54 W. Church St., 75 minutes). In this Orlando Sentinel “Best of the Fest” pick, an engaging cast, sharp direction and a whimsical story create a charming musical folk-tale adventure.

2:30 p.m.: “Freak Show” (Blue venue, 60 minutes). In this variety show within a show, including an aerialist act, an escape artist, a bearded lady and a puppeteer, characters musically explore their identities as “freaks.”

2:30 p.m.: “Marathon” (Pink venue, 60 minutes). Two female friends go running and discuss matters big and small in a race that might be more than it seems.

2:30 p.m.: “I Lost on Jeopardy!” (Purple venue at 54 W. Church St., 60 minutes, highly recommended): A seeming failure on TV’s “Jeopardy!” is actually a blueprint for living life successfully in this smart show that won the Critics’ Choice Award for best solo comedy at the 2022 Fringe.

3:35 p.m.: “The Ultimate Robin Williams Experience” (Gold venue, 75 minutes): An impersonator provides a look at the famed comedian.

3:35 p.m.: “A Bad Romance” (Silver venue, 60 minutes). Lady Gaga’s music fuels this LGBTQ-friendly look at fairy-tale princesses unhappy with their lives — and the changes they make.

3:35 p.m.: “Swampily Ever After: A Shrekxual Burlesque Parody” (Teal venue at 54 Church St., 75 minutes). This burlesque show parodies the ogre-centric movie “Shrek.”

3:35 p.m.: “Field Zoology 101” (Yellow venue, 60 minutes). A professor takes his class on a comic romp through the natural sciences.

4:55 p.m.: “Shifted” (Brown venue, 60 minutes): This zippy sci-fi comedy about college friends visiting parallel universes is lifted by the energetic cast and some well-placed jokes.

4:55 p.m.: “An Audience of Amoebas” (Green venue, 60 minutes): A comedic look at the biggest flop in Broadway history.

4:55 p.m.: “Scream Gays” (Orange venue, 60 minutes): A musical send-up of theater jokes loosely inspired by the “Scream” movie franchise.

5:05 p.m.: “We Begin at a Tavern” (Pink venue, 60 minutes). A band of fantasy adventurers sets off on a comic quest in this silly show.

6:15 p.m.: “Dick Sweat: Private Investigator” (Blue venue, 60 minutes). In this Sentinel “Best of the Fest” pick, playwright T.J. Washburn takes a lot of familiar Fringe tropes — the film noir style, the double-entendre puns, the character archetypes — but lifts them with fine comic acting, a clever script and a satisfying conclusion.

6:15 p.m.: “The Great and Powerful Tim: Magic Tonight” (Red venue, 60 minutes). The magician tries a talk-show format around his tricks.

6:15 p.m.: “Multitudes” (Yellow venue, 60 minutes, highly recommended): In this Sentinel “Best of the Fest” pick, actor Timothy Williams terrifies in this intense, cerebrally psychological one-man show about the all-too-human propensity to fall into cult mentality.

7:35 p.m. “The City Beautiful” (Green venue, 60 minutes). It’s burlesque, and breasts are bared, but the real appeal of this catchy little musical is found in the original songs and script that pay tribute to Orlando’s history.

7:35 p.m.: “Dungeons & Drag Queens” (Orange venue, 60 minutes). Fun songs and fierce heroes go on a comic fantasy-adventure quest in this D&D-style romp.

7:35 p.m.: “Nashville Hurricane” (Silver venue, 75 minutes, highly recommended). Chase Padgett spins a story of a forgotten country-music star and the cost of fame.

9 p.m.: Closing ceremony and awards on the Loch Haven Park lawn.

Orlando Fringe Festival

  • Where: Shows take place in color-coded venues at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Museum of Art and Orlando Repertory Theatre at Loch Haven Park, except where noted.

  • When: Through May 29

  • Cost: $10 button required for ticketed shows, then individual performance tickets are no more than $15.

  • Schedule, tickets and more info: OrlandoFringe.org

  • More than 100 reviews: OrlandoSentinel.com/fringe

Email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com