Kicking off Fringe with a sassy name
Supercali FRINGEilistic! readying its diverse offerings for August
You know it’s officially Fringe season when you can start calling Edmonton’s upcoming summer theatre bash by its proper name. If you can, that is.
SupercaliFRINGEilistic!, the 34th annual edition of the Edmonton Fringe, unmasked its multi-syllabic mantra and theme on Tuesday morning. And, even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, practice immediately begins on high-speed delivery. If you say it loud enough you’ll always sound precocious.
The Edmonton Fringe, the first and still the biggest on the continent, takes place in more than 50 venues in Old Strathcona and other locales Aug. 13 to 23.
The Fringe has raided the reservoir of B-movie kitsch for much of its yearly naming ritual (Night of the Living Fringe, Franken FRINGE, Attack of the Killer Fringe). It’s put its meathooks into iconic movies (Born To Fringe, From Fringe With Love, A Clockwork Fringe, Fringeopolis, The Fringe That Roared, last year’s Fringed and Confused), or pop culture phenomena (Cirque du Fringe).
There have been occasional Fringe forays into the song repertoire (La Vie en Fringe), comics (Rex the Wonder Fringe), and literary heavyhitters (A Fringe Odyssey).
SupercaliFRINGEilistic! marks the first time the Edmonton Fringe has sidled up to the musical theatre, and a jolly family musical at that, for its theme.
As per Mary Poppins, the joys of childhood, imagination and fun are bywords, says the Fringe.
And, althoug has trict nanny presides over the musical, the festival’s 208-plus productions aren’t juried and won’t be told to mind their manners.
Berths at the Fringe’s 12 official “theatre” venues are selected by lottery; the rest are programmed in BYOVs, bring-your-own venues, acquired and outfitted by artists themselves.
Their number, along with the total production count, is a work-in-progress: While Tuesday’s official announcement was going on, the festivities acquired two additional BYOVs. “Wild! said artistic director Murray Utas, outfitted as a chimney sweep for the occasion. “The Fringe is always in flux!”
Tickets for SupercaliFRINGEilistic! go on sale Aug. 4 at noon.