Had a mellow day at work today.  Quiet lunch, easy specials launch, lots of lean-time.  It was nice.  It was relaxing.  And clearly, I needed something to wake me the fuck up.  Thank goodness I had just the thing scheduled for the evening.

Yes, tonite was the nite, the long-anticipated, much-dreaded opening of THE DANGER PROJECT from the mad fiends over at May Can Theatre.  And, truth be told, I had little idea of what to expect, knowing naught but the name, and that May Can was previously responsible for the perfectly goddam amazing YOU ARE HERE at Algonquin.  So I was primed and ready, and it even happened at a bar (the Avant-Garde), and what goes better with everything than drinking?  I mean, sure, it took the bartender LITERALLY 12 minutes to pour a single pint, but after that, I was golden.  Met up with smooth Tim Oberholzer, fresh off his triumphant run of ZASTROZZI, his de-lovely pal Maria, and even Miss Emily Pearlman.  we all settled into the back of the AG and waited for the lads to do their thing…whatever that thing was going to end up being.

The ‘lads’, by the way, are Cory Thibert, Tony Adams and Leslie Cserepy…you may have seen them in the aforementioned YOU ARE HERE, MECHANICSVILLE MONOLOGUES II, SPEAKERS and likely ever more than that.    They’re talented, enthusiastic cats, and they were here tonite for one reason above all else…to have a great time, and to bring as many people along for the ride as possible.  It’s hard to describe the Danger Project without sounding like a coke fiend having a panic attack, but here goes…it’s basically a rogue semi-musical retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that flouts theatrical convention, tells a whole lot of dick and rape jokes (I mean, really an impressive amount), and comes with its own letters of apology should they be required.  These guys think ahead.

A deep show this is not, folks, but a fun one it is.  I know I didn’t stop smiling and laughing from the get-go, and for five bucks that makes this just about the best theatrical bargain in town.    There are moments of seriously inspired comic lunacy in this show (the 3-d segment comes gloriously to mind), many that are hilarious, and some that just flat out fall on their face…but it doesn’t even matter, because the next bit is always only seconds away!  The Danger Project is a really, really fun show, it tries harder than other shows, and could likely kick most other show’s asses in a back-alley knife fight if push came to shove.  It’s raucous, inventive, juvenile, loud, short, fun, AND cheap.  What the hell else do you want?

Hats off to the May Can gang (whose hands I happily got to shake tonite…keep up the Dangering, you lot!), they work hard for the money. Check the show out, have a drink, listen to the tunes afterwards.  It’s SO much more fun than talking politics.  You’ve got two more days, Ottawa, make me fuckin’ proud.  Get Dangerous.  Peace, love and soul,

the Visitor (and Winston)