Tag Archives: Matt Dahan

#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: One Up: The Musical

by Eloise Coopersmith

Quick peeks at #HFF25’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

WHO: Mary Bonney & Weslie Lechner

WHAT: One Up: The Musical

WHERE: Actors Company  (Let Live Theater), 916 N. Formosa

WHY: …Fresh, invigorating, and exciting, the cast of One Up [book by Mary Bonney & Weslie Lechner, Music & Lyrics by Matt Dahan] reminds us why we love Hollywood Fringe shows. The press release states, “One Up is a heartfelt celebration of ambition, friendship, and what it takes to make it in the digital frontier.” How would I describe it? Fun!

Go Here for more of Eloise’s Review on Gia On The Move!

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11981

Click Here to Find More “Women on the Fringe!”

At the Fringe: The Count of Monte Cristo: the Musical

by Guest Blogger Sarah Dzida

I am a huge fan of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I remember being introduced to it by my father through the copy he had on his bookshelf. I’ve reread the epic book many times because it has … well, everything, and when I say everything, I mean it literally. There’s greed, revenge, love, hate, family issues, mistaken identities, embezzlement, history, politics and pirates! It’s over 1000+ pages of pure drama. So when I met Kelly d’Angelo at an early Fringe Workshop who said she had been working on her adaptation for a Count of Monte Cristo musical for 10 years, I was pretty impressed. And curious—just how was she going to pull that off?

On the way to the world premiere this past Friday, my dad and I played a game: What scene would get turned into a song?

“Can you imagine Edmond singing?,” I asked. “Like, ‘REVENGE!’ ”

“Maybe there will be a duet? Something … ‘You killed my father!’ ,” my dad said.

There really was no way to guess the right answer, but my father and I were delighted with what we saw. The cast and crew performed over 10 scenes full of music. It’s two days later, and I still find myself humming certain lyrics in songs. We were also pleased at how much humor Kelly, her crew and cast pulled out of the plot. Funny jokes. Funny moments, and even funny songs, like the duet between pretty Valentine de Villefort and her fiancé who she does not want to marry.

You put diamonds and stars in our eyes, Kelly! Congrats to the cast and crew. I hope you have a successful run through the 2015 Fringe!

To learn more about The Count of Monte Cristo: The Musical, by Kelly d’Angelo, playwright and Matt Dahan, composer, go here: http://hff15.org/2075.

Sarah Dzida is a Los Angeles playwright who also has a play in the Fringe Festival, please also go see 5 Sirens: Beware of Rocks!