NYC | Review | Hamilton

I did it. I went to New York City and saw Hamilton. It wasn't cheap and the tickets weren't easy to get, but Margie and I did it.

If you believe the buzz about Hamilton, the show's practically the second coming of Christ and Lin-Manuel Miranda is either John the Baptist or the angel. Hip hop isn't my forte, but the show is catchy. So what is it like without its star? If I didn't hear so many people talking about it before the show started, I wouldn't have noticed a difference. Javier Muñoz is good as Alexander Hamilton. Really good.

This show works really well because of its ensemble. You feel a really strong current of energy throughout. When you get to songs like "What'd I Miss" and "Blow It All Away," it makes you want to stand up and cheer sometimes.

I sometimes read arguments about mixed-race casting and shows not being able to run because the writer wanted more white people or fewer white people. Hamilton's a good illustration that actors' skin color doesn't matter. If it's a good work and a good performance, the suspension of disbelief kicks in and you overlook whether one person has lighter or darker skin, or if they have a little bit of an accent or not.

Strongly recommended – but buy your tickets well in advance. No one needs a scalper.

ORLANDO FRINGE | Review | 21 Chump Street

21 Jump Street is a buddy undercover cop movie comedy, with the cops thrown into high school for extra laughs and situational humor. 21 Chump Street: The Musical is the parody you never thought you wanted, but now love and have to see. For starters, it's written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton and In the Heights fame. It's only 14 minutes long, but at $7 a ticket it's way more affordable than either show. Come for the music and the dancing. Bring hearing protection, because it's surprisingly loud in the small space.

ORLANDO FRINGE | Review | Master of the Rack

A play like Master of the Rack sounds like an S&M show. It's actually about a competitive Scrabble association, which depending on how things work out could be just as much pain or just as much fun. You've heard the story before of an organization badly in need of new blood, but the concept works surprisingly well. The performances were unfortunately inconsistent – perhaps another week of rehearsals was needed – but it actually makes playing Scrabble sound really exciting and interesting.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going by the games store...

ORLANDO FRINGE | Review | The Space Pirate Puppy Musical

With a name like The Space Pirate Puppy Musical, how can you really go wrong? It's a silly show that you can take your grandchildren to without blushing, with a story that would really take too long to explain but is fun to follow. (Try explaining the presence of a ninja kitten, for example.) It fills an hour with heart warmth.

ORLANDO FRINGE | Review | 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

The New York Times said that 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche "seemed destined for a cult following." New York audiences got to try it at the NY International Fringe Festival and at SoHo Playhouse and now us Orlando-ites get to see what the big deal is.

This 3hreeE Theatre Company production certainly delivers on the comic relief. There's audience participation, a really clever script by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood, and some great performances by Emily Fontano and Julie Snyder. It's as raunchy at times as you might expect a lesbian comedy to be...but not crass. Affordably priced at $11.

TUCSON FRINGE | Review | Cuentos: Stories from the Living to the Dead

Photo by Prine Photograph.

Cuentos: Stories from the Living to the Dead was one of the best surprises of the Tucson Fringe. The LA-based dance company Contemporary Arte in Movement's show is themed around the Dia de los Muertos. Walking in, I expected that it was mostly going to be storytelling. It's actually more a dance show with spoken word, and really excellent at that. Strong thumbs up.

TUCSON FRINGE | Review | My Muse is a Woman who Hates Me

Tucson Fringe is back in a big way this year – and it's gone international. The quirkiness factor has gone up a bit. My Muse is a Woman Who Hates Me by Michael Fenlason and produced by Unlikely Theater is a show about authors arguing with characters – in this case, an inconstant muse. It's crass, it has its moments, but it doesn't quite live up to its potential.

New Year, New Site

2016 is a proud new year for a new start to things. Welcome to Year 1 of The Vagabond Critic, a theatre review blog by Jack Nakamura. Here's to all the new things the world will bring!