Will interrupts The Suicide Lounge ...

... to pimp "Cupid" (photo: Marcel).

Blake reviews 'Cupid'

Some people came to the show for the charm of the actors, others for the charming chemistry of how these people work together–others for the funny asides about Prop.8, but for me it was all about the Will’s expressive tamborine playing!

(I don’t get the comments about ‘using familiar tunes’?)

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Blake, I think they were referring to the lifted lines from "Rent," "Fiddler on the Roof" and Meat Loaf's "I would do anything for love." But yeah, the actual songs were original.

Stephen's review on the Rogue site

Lemme preface the following review with this fact: Stephen doesn't hold punches. He's one of those "here's the truth, whether you like it or not" kind of people. It doesn't always serve him well politically. So to read the following from him is quite the compliment ...

Rollicking good time!

I had no clue what to expect…I kinda thought it would be some improv and some skit work and maybe a Josh song or two (based on last year’s show and the snippet I saw at Beehive night at Club Fred).

No NO! This is a full=on musical comedy, hilarious…I really laughed so hard. The music is all original, making this the new Rocky Horror cult classic. Props and sound devices are as funny as the people, and when they do interact with the audience, it’s even more fun.

This is another one of those ‘Hey, let’s put on a show for the Rogue’ deals, but this one really works. It’s well rehearsed and directed and written, and (smartly) ends before it gets too long. Nice beginning, great middle, fun plot twists, and great singalong ending.

This is a MUST Rogue Year Round show! Hope the right people are listening. There’ll be a crowd, as they turned away many folks tonight at their sold-out closing performance. I was lucky enough to be there, and if you missed it, you really missed out.

Thank you local troupe for bringing a great amount of fun to the Rogue!

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The Fresnan gives his review

Sorry, a little late on this ...

I thought the show was great Saturday. Producer Becky liked it more than me even. It wasn't that warm in there to me...but then again, I rarely complain about Fresno summers.

I've been singing the line "Cupiiiid IS A BITCH!" even since.

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Us performing at RogueHop

(Credit: Victor DesRoches. Still looking for the video of Josh on the local news.)

Tonight is the final night

It's been a great run. We're very pleased to say that the number of people with smiles on their faces, and others who have come up to us after the show, have given us the impression that people have enjoyed "Cupid is a B*tch."

It's always nice to think that when you set out to create something, and people respond positively, that you've done your part to contribute. With one show left, we think it's safe to say: mission accomplished.

(Oh? The former president said that too early once? Gee ... er, um ... OK. Well, we hope you enjoy the show tonight!)

Jaguar Bennett's thoughts

There is the nucleus of a good show here, but it needs to be much more fully developed. The premise is good, and I can imagine it being really funny, but as it is, this script is just an outline. Characters have no motivation, interesting ideas go nowhere, the story just sort of happens without ever developing. If the writer had taken the show more seriously, it would be a lot more funny. That being said, this is exactly the sort of show one should take a chance on and see at the Rogue — an original script by a local playwright. I heartily encourage the author to revise and expand this show.

There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments, and some genuinely clever bits. The songs are the best part of the show, and Josh Tehee has an interesting stage presence I’d like to see more of. If you’re willing to spend 45 minutes and $6 on something new and experimental, you could do worse.

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Cherida's comments on the Rogue site

This was another great performance. I decided to go and see this play because last year this same group had a great performance for first timers and left the audience laughing the entire time.

This year, they did the same. I was impressed with the fact that it was a musical and featured tunes which were familiar to me. I was most impressed with the unexpected twist that left us rolling over in laughter in our seats.

At the end of the show, most all audience members were singing the songs from this play.

It was great that they also had CDs for us to purchase. I definitely would recommend everyone who can catch this show to definitely see it. It is worth the time.

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Come on, people. Did nobody hate it?

More positive reviews

From the Rogue site:

I saw the final dress rehearsal of this show and came to see it again during the Rogue. I can say that they improved the show quite a bit in that little time. I enjoyed it even more so this time around and laughed my… a lot. It is very clever and funny - out there. Go see it for yourself though!

-- Dave O.

WOW - I must agree with Alissa about still laughing. This show is totally hilarious. It’s offbeat & quirky. Well-suited for a Fringe festival & its audience. It’s as unpredictable as love itself. In these tense times, we all need a bit of levity & a good laugh. This show definitely delivers on both accounts. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next year!

-- Brian

Opening weekend recap

Saturday: We were told that it was a sell-out audience. There were one or two seats open, but then there were people seated in the very back of the house. So, assuming 60 of the 70 audience members actually paid, the company has already broken even financially.

On top of that, people seemed to enjoy themselves at the show. Granted, more than half the house was filled with friends of ours, so that was nice, but the compliments afterward seemed genuine. The plan to sell the original soundtrack on CDs for $4 fizzled, though.

Sunday: The crowd was a little smaller, and there were some flubs (unfinished costume changes, minor lighting miscue, one injured cast member), but by the end, people were smiling and some even humming a tune on their way out.

We'd like to think that there is enough strong material to withstand some setbacks. And we sold four CDs!

Josh also wrote from his perspective on Fresno Famous.

... We'd like to thank everyone who came out, and we hope they tell their friends. There are three more performances: Wednesday (8:30), Thursday (5:30) and Friday (8:30).

Our first negative review! (sort of)

"Dana" commented on The Beehive:

I heard two minutes of a music sample from "Cupid..."...someone owes me two minutes of my life back.

We'd like to invite Dana to actually come see our show. Then we can owe her 40 more minutes.

Stinkboy's comments on The Beehive

Rogue virgins, my true love and I, caught the opening of Cupid is a B*tch and were quite entertained. Great music and an overall fun experience. Sheer cupidity!

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Vince's comments on The Beehive

I attended the, what I believe was a sold out, opening for "Cupid is a B*tch." I found it to be quite entertaining overall. Josh's audience participation moment was pure genius. He could not have picked on a better subject. Great job Will and company!

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Our first review

From Alissa (on the Rogue site):

OMG- so I’m laughin just thinking about this show. To be honest it got off to a little bit of a slow start, but finished with a bang!!!! I was laughing so hard by the end of the show, it was great!

Combination of new material, using familiar tunes in an obscure manner worked for this show!

I had a little bit of a clue of what I was in store for after seeing their show last year, but I was not expecting the twist I got. If you want to see something that is light and fluffy go see this “B*tch”!

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