Here’s a screen shot of a 4WWL-TV interview with the Executive Director of the Fringe Festival that included some footage of “Gayland.”
Pictured: David Kaplinsky, Lori DeLeon, and Ivan Griffin.
2013
Final attendance numbers for “Gayland” at the New Orleans Fringe Festival
The final attendance numbers are in for “Gayland” at The New Orleans Fringe Festival.
Over the four performances, 591 people saw the show.
The biggest night was Saturday night, at 194. The risers seat 150 people, so that means 44 people were standing on the sides or sitting on the floor in front of the stage an Saturday.
Thanks so much for coming, everyone!
Extra fun on closing night
Sunday night, we played to a very full house, and the cast was in a playful mood with lots of ad libs. Probably the audience favorite was from Lesley De Martin, as she hurried her class offstage at the end of Mismatch Mercy Mission, “Come on, this is Fringe. We only have an hour!”
When it was over, we popped champagne, exchanged hugs, and posed for the group photo:
The “Gayland: The Musical,” cast, crew, and creators.
Left to right: Doug Therrien, Lori DeLeon, Spencer Doyle, Charles Kohlmeyer, Dilyara Shiderova, Dave Hurlbert, Scott King, Christopher St. John, Ivan Griffin, David Kaplinsky, Christopher Thompson, Kathleen Westfall, Chard Gonzalez, (second row) April Mok, Joe Furnari, Nick Shackleford, Brittany Scofeld, Lesley DeMartin. Not pictured: Swamp DeVille (sets) Veronica Russell (costumes)
Photo by Sandy Mustard, 11-24-13.
“Standing room only here” – OffBeatMagazine
Saturday night, we ran past “sold out” and up towards the Fire Marshall limit for Marigny Opera House. People were packed into every available niche. A visitor from OffBeatMagazine tweeted this pic featuring Ivan Griffin’s showstopper performance of “Im a Real Man.”
Interview with Lori DeLeon, who plays Grace
Lori DeLeon is bringing a host of characters to life, including Grace, the ungay activist, and an evangelical lesbian preacher. Come see her at the Fringe Festival In New Orleans, November 20-24.
Interview with Nick Shackleford, who plays Finn
Nick plays Finn, the well-known ballerino, and a slew of other characters. Come see this master of the quick change at the Fringe Festival In New Orleans, November 20-24.
OffBeat.com features “Gayland” in “Top 12 Fringe Fest Shows Not To MIss”
Always at the forefront of uninhibited, experimental arts and culture, New Orleans hosts one of the most comprehensive Fringe Festivals in the country next week from November 20-24 at more than two dozen DIY venues throughout the Bywater, Marigny and St. Claude Avenue neighborhoods. The sixth annual New Orleans Fringe Fest plays host to more than 77 intimate shows over the course of five days in the mediums of stage play, musical, comedy, spoken word, dance, puppetry, burlesque, acrobatics, installation art, and perhaps the most “New Orleans” of all performance arts — an official Fringe Fest Parade.
The “fringe” movement in theatre and performance art has been bubbling nationally for the past five years or more now. Even cities not known so much for their theatre or arts scenes now host an annual Fringe Fest. Given the nature of the city’s cultural heritage, it is no surprise that New Orleans has been a pioneer in the movement to encourage local and amateur artists to hone their crafts. It is also no wonder that the t
hrivingarts nexus that is the St. Claude Avenue corridor plays host to the New Orleans Fringe Fest. This weekend, nearly every street corner and every small cabaret or warehouse will be ablaze with color and movement, the roster now also including more visiting artists. Several Fringe Fest alumni have even gone on to tour their musical plays and comedy shows.
Just glancing at the festival schedule can be quite daunting, but OffBeat staff have assembled 12 shows we wouldn’t miss this year to help get you started. Some of the most New Orleans and Louisiana-centric shows have been selected for our Top 12 below.
TOP 12 FRINGE FEST 2013 SHOWS NOT TO MISS:
Gayland
Welcome to a world in which almost everyone is gay, evangelical lesbian conservatives hold power, and the marginalized ungays are agitating for the right to marry. “Gayland,” an audacious new musical comedy, shows you this world through the eyes of Willow, a rising star, who finds herself attracted to Zack and caught in the coils of forbidden ungay desire.
Marigny Opera House – 11/20 (7pm), 11/22 (7pm), 11/23 (9pm), 11/24 (11pm)
{Editor’s note: We were first on the list!}
Interview with Ivan Griffin, who’s playing Brock and Kern
Ivan plays two guysy-guys, one gay and the other ungay, and he brings the perfect voice to the anthemic “I’m a Real Man.” Come see him at the Fringe Festival In New Orleans, November 20-24.
The colors!
This snapshot during the tech rehearsal shows some of the striking lighting effects the expert Gayland production team has put together.
Gayland, The Musical 