Reviews: The Good, the Bad, the Indifferent
Winnipeg Free Press - 4 stars, Kevin Prokosh (click here for full review)
A very favourable write-up from the Freep:
"[Lucrezia Borgia's] debut Winnipeg run shows a composer with uncommon talent and potential."
The review also singles out the performances of Andrea Houssin, Samantha Hill and others.
Uptown Magazine - "A", Liz Hover
"This production is virtually flawless, the singing and acting incredible and the story believable."
Outwords - Ron Soltis
The star rating was somehow omitted (which is a good thing; it forces you to actually read the damn text!), but again, very favourable. Leave it to the true fans of musical theatre to know what they're talking about:
"While Aragon poked fun of musicals in years past, it was clear he also loved the genre. Here, he finally has a chance to show an original work and it's also clear he has a promising career ahead of him."
He gave kudos to all aspects of performance and production: "Aragon has an amazing team behind him."
The Jenny Revue - Kevin Longfield
"I really hope someone with a big budget takes on this musical, because I think it could make people forget Les Miserables."
Winnipeg Sun - 3 stars, Paul Turenne
This reviewer took umbrage to the storyline, but:
"It is a visual and aural feast, though, and it's well produced, with the acting ranging from competent to excellent."
CBC - 3 stars, Kaj Hasselriis
A lukewarm review, but our audience is coming to our defence! Post a rebuttal of your own! Name-calling and personal attacks are encouraged.


News
July 18, 2007: Prokosh's Predictions (Winnipeg Free Press)
Kevin Prokosh prognosticates Best of Fest winners (we're in a BYOV so we're not eligible, but we're still mentioned in the article).
July 12, 2007: Five Breakout Fringe Productions (Winnipeg Sun)
Check out number five:

Five breakout Fringe productions
By LINDSEY WARD

Five plays on our scanner:

1) BASH'd (Venue 16, PTE Mainstage)
Edmonton's hilarious Chris Craddock (BoyGroove, PornStar) came up with this rap opera about two gay men who take musical revenge against everyone who disses them.

2) HAIR: The Rock Musical (Venue 16, PTE Mainstage)
Peace, love and '60s cover tunes rule what we predict will be a totally groovy effort by U of W's theatre department.

3) Homely Woman #2 (Venue 11, Red River College)
Royal Liechtensteiner Tricia Cooper follows up 2005's hi-freakin'-larious The Comment Card with this solo show about life as an actor.

4) On Second Thought (Venue 7, Conservatory)
We're not going to think twice about seeing Toronto's Paul Hutcheson's return after his physical antics had us in stitches in one-man stint The First Time in 2005.

5) Lucrezia Borgia (Venue 18, Gas Station Theatre)
Not only is the latest musical from Fringe staple Joseph Aragon (Conclave) an excuse to check out the fest's newest venue, it's virtually guaranteed to rock.
June 20, 2007: If having a giant fringe fest is a crime, slap on the cuffs! (Winnipeg Free Press)
Kevin Prokosh's article on the announcement of the Winnipeg Fringe.
June 19, 2007: Fringe Media Conference
Number one sign the Fringe is fast approaching: executive producer Nick Kowalchuk in some weird costume. This year it's jail stripes, as he officially announced today the prison-themed 2007 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival: "20 Years To Life." Here's the press release:
The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival has a long and colourful rap sheet, dating back to the first unjuried, uncensored festival in 1988. Twenty years later, North America’s second-largest Fringe shows no signs of leaving behind its checkered past.

“The Winnipeg Fringe is guilty of presenting unjuried and uncensored theatre to the masses. However, we feel no remorse and rehabilitation looks doubtful,” admitted Executive Producer Nick “Slick Nick” Kowalchuk at a parole hearing this morning. “So we’ve decided to invite theatre lovers to embrace the ‘anything goes’ spirit of the Fringe and join us at WINNIPEG FRINGE: 20 YEARS TO LIFE from July 18 to 29.”

The 2007 line-up features 139 companies from all over the world, performing in 23 venues. This year, the festival is expanding to Osborne Village with a BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue) at The Gas Station Theatre. “Osborne Village is one of the city’s most vibrant areas and we are thrilled to host a BYOV in that neighbourhood. We think it’s a great fit for the festival,” said Kowalchuk.

Fringers won’t have to wait long to get their hands on tickets. Advance tickets will be available at the MTC Box Office as of June 25, three weeks earlier than usual. This allows theatre lovers to avoid line-ups and sold-out shows by making plans well in advance of opening day.

For more details on the 2007 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, please call 9-4-FRINGE (943-7464) or 1-877-446-4500 (toll-free), or visit www.winnipegfringe.com.
May 30, 2007: Blog preview (Steve On Broadway)
We got reviewed (kinda)! New York theatre blogger Steve Loucks descended upon our little hamlet and sampled the local theatrical cuisine, including the Carol Shields Festival of New Works. Here's what he had to say about Lucrezia:
Last weekend, I journeyed to beautiful Winnipeg where I took in a reading of Joseph Aragon's Lucrezia Borgia -- a budding new musical that's only partially complete -- during the Carol Shields Festival of New Works. Since the festival itself was billed as a showcase for "staged readings of new plays and works in progress," it would hardly be fair to judge what I saw with a formal review.

But I can tell you that this promising original musical offers intrigue aplenty. While only six full tunes have been completed, it offers a new twist on the original "material girl," who reputedly participated in murders carried out by her father (Pope Alexander XI) and brother (Cesare) and possibly engaged in incest with both of them.
You can read the full article here.
May 24, 2007: Carol Shields Festival (Winnipeg Free Press)
A general article about the Carol Shields Festival of New Works.