Oh Winnipeg!: not that surprising after all
John Pippus is a brave man. He's taken his musical career and parlayed it into a one-man show. Trouble is, I think I'd rather be watching him perform a straight-up music concert rather than witnessing this play.
With a mix of scenes and direct address, Oh Winnipeg! requires a solid actor who can switch between several distinct characters from John today to young Johnny to his mother to long-dead Auntie Edie. The performance is uneven – and there is little true conflict in this life story. Various projections of Pippus' family are interesting but not consistently used throughout the piece (more a random sprinkling). There are only a few moments where he settles into a rhythm that feels real... usually when he's talking about music that matters to him.
But I will tell you that the original music is often fairly good. And when Pippus is playing guitar or harmonica, he can really rock. So go for the music and a story about an artist's life – just know that you're watching a musician not an actor. The Fringe is a great place to see this kind of story... it's letting you in on something you would never experience if you just attended one of Pippus' musical performances.
For more show information go here.
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