Hollywood Fringe Festival of 2019 opens soon!


The 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival is almost upon us!  Having been a follower of the festival for years, it has been fascinating to watch the selection of offerings increase in number and variety as the festival has expanded.  Currently, the (sometimes clunky) website lists just under 400 offerings for this year’s festival, taking place during June and centered at various venues in Hollywood.  Previews begin on June 6 with the official kick off happening June 13.

The variety of shows is mind-boggling.  Subjects range from social and political issues, art, clowns, hip-hop, LGBT themes, punk rock, satire, musicals, parodies, feminism, mythology, literature, science fiction, women’s issues, mental health issues, fantasy journeys, addiciton, cults, people of all colors and ages, men’s issues, the human condition, dance and movement oriented pieces, social media, relationship issues and much more.  The variety of formats include solo performances, ensemble pieces, immersive pieces, cabaret and variety style shows.

There are also classes ranging from stage combat, mime skills, acting and dance. So much to choose from!

With such wide variety of shows, coupled with the huge number of offerings, it’s interesting to notice trends from year to year as the festival expands.  Above, I touched on some of the subjects highlighted in the show summaries over on the website… at the same time, it’s interesting there seems to be less magician / magic themed shows this year and seemingly fewer horror-oriented shows.  (Just a casual observation from someone who has loved the amount of such offerings in past years.)  The immersive category seems to still be in the process of defining itself and the number of solo performances this year is mind blowing!

The coolest thing about any Fringe Festival is going to the website, browsing the titles and grabbing a ticket for something that interests YOU.  In the past, we have offered a few picks of things we were personally looking forward to seeing, but it’s really tough this year because of the wide variety of shows offered.

This year, it’s all about the exploration!

If you are in the Hollywood area during June, check out their schedule and grab yourself a ticket to something that intrigues you.

Here’s a tip – when checking out, purchase a Fringe Festival Button and it will provide you a discount on future ticket purchases!

See you at the Fringe!

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