MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Fringe, the largest non-juried performing arts festival in the nation and the third largest Fringe in North America, celebrates its 12th year August 4 to 14 in more than 20 different venues throughout the Loring Park, Downtown, Uptown and Lyn-Lake areas.
With more than 800 performances of 160 different shows and a projected attendance of 50,000, the Fringe continues as one of the top summer events in the Twin Cities. Theater companies and individual performers from across Minnesota, the U.S. and Canada will feature drama, comedy, dance, aerial work, musical theater, Kids Fringe, Teen Fringe, spoken word, sketch comedy, juggling, unicycles and more.
Fringeville, sponsored by Summit Brewing, moves to Suburban World at 3022 Hennepin Ave. S., in Uptown. A gathering place for Fringe audiences and performers, Fringeville will be open every night of the Fringe and features beer, food, sneak previews, live music and more. The first Fringeville theme night, "Fringe Prom 2005," takes place on Friday, Aug. 5.
Kids Fringe returns for the fifth year and Teen Fringe, spotlighting shows by, for and about teens returns for its second year. Showcases of Fringe sneak previews begin in July and include the annual Out-of-town showcase, featuring Fringe performers from outside the Twin Cities scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 3, at Suburban World.
As the Fringe presents new and adventurous theater, the Fringe website at www.fringefestival.org remains on the cutting edge as well. Fringe podcasts and other to-be-announced updates to the Web site provide new ways to communicate sneak previews, interviews and updates before and during the Fringe.
Visible Fringe expands this year to present Minnesota artists working in a broad range of disciplines, including but not limited to visual art, new media, performance art, outdoor sculpture and dance, along with artists whose work is appropriate for traditional settings. New this year are F-stops or fixed outdoor locations where visual arts adventures take place during the Fringe. Distribution of Fringe printed programs will begin at the end of July throughout the Twin Cities.
For the fifth year, ASL-interpreted (American Sign Language) and Audio Described shows will be available for select Fringe performances and noted on the Fringe website, in the printed program and at http://mn.vsarts.org.
Fringe buttons are mandatory for admission. Fringe buttons are $3 each and good for discounts at select retailers during the Fringe and at participating performances throughout the year. Tickets to each Fringe show are $12 for adults and $5 for kids with a $2 discount for students, seniors and MPR members. The Ultra Pass (unlimited Fringe pass to all shows) is available for $130 plus a free button. Punch Cards (five shows for the price of four) are $45 each. Advance tickets can be purchased after July 1 through Uptown Tix at (651) 209-6799 or www.uptowntix.com.
Mama Earth: "A Cabaret of Consciousness"
At the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Gina Citoli, Mama Earth, is performing Mama Earth: "A Cabaret Of Consciousness" at the Acadia Cafe, 1931 Nicollet Ave., in Minneapolis at 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4; 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6; 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9; 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12; and at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13.
Expect to be inspired and delighted as Mama Earth – through story and music (jazz, rock, and blues) – takes you to a new frontier of hope, inspiration, wisdom, humor and heart, emphasizing how our thoughts, words and actions make an evolutionary difference for the planet and for ourselves. The motto of this fast-paced, one-person Cabaret is: "Seize Your Spirit. Evolutionize Your Life!"
Citoli is the creator, writer, performer, co-composer, and lyricist of Mama EarthTM. She has won numerous awards and received outstanding worldwide reviews throughout her career. Recently, three songs in Mama Earth won awards in categories: Spiritual Rock and World Theme Music in the Hollywood Spiritual Film and Entertainment Festival.
"I know I’ve found my niche with Mama Earth, as I regularly receive standing ovations and hear from so many people who attend, that they both thoroughly enjoyed and also were deeply moved by the performance," explains Gina Citoli. As a student and teacher of the human-potential movement and of the environment, Citoli’s Mama Earth: "A Cabaret of Consciousness" is based on the works of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Wayne Dyer, Gregg Braden, and other great thinkers.
To listen to song samples, go to www.Mama-Earth.com. For tickets, contact Gina Citoli at (651) 329-8418.
