The Producing House, the creators of Twin Cities musicals such as Mudshark, recently debuted their new show Fauxhammer at Saint Paul's Gremlin Theater.
The premise starts off simple, but then takes a twist: this is a show created for people who (1) love karaoke and (2) love pop music. However, it's the third requirement that turns everything on its head - you must also be a fan of role-playing games.
The actors take the stage in character (a robot, lion, and warrior) and narrate their way through a fairly simple plot that pits good (the characters & the audience) against evil (adult contemporary soft rock - epitomized by Phil Collins). The culmination was sweetly satisfying, but the show could have been improved with slightly more complex plot, thickened with a few twists and turns. It was a short show and the audience certainly seemed more than willing to go along for a longer ride.
Where the show does shine is in its song selection - crowd pleasers, drawing from expected sources but mixed with a couple of surprises. The audience was more than willing to sing along & this is what makes Fauxhammer such nonsensical fun - it's like going to to karaoke, without the embarassment of having the spotlight highlight all your sour notes. The performers, however, weren't striking too many of those - they've certainly got great pipes. Ciam Orson, in particular, was stunning every time he stepped to the mic.
Most exciting - this show was created with the intention to play one weekend a month - each running pushing the plot further along. As it grows, hopefully we will get to see more interaction between the characters and their world. Plans for the second run have yet to be announced, but fingers crossed that Fauxhammer carries on a least a little bit longer - it would be a great ride.
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