It seems that almost any small
dilemma can trigger a barrage of anger, curses and anxieties which in turn
affect different parts of the body. He talks about losing it in the check
out stand of a market as he bought produce. He has a huge fit when a guy
drives him off the road and then gives him the finger – he goes bananas
when his Rabbi converts to become an Episcopalian minister (That one is a
bit of a game changer). But the problem is that he internalizes most of
these angry tirades which in turn create physical problems for him. In a
clever PowerPoint projection Frazer starts with a drawing of a body and
each irritation displays an organ that is affected. The lungs, eyes,
intestine, liver and other organs are each highlighted one by one as he
describes the malady that involves that particular body part. Pretty soon
the entire figure is almost filled with illnesses for which he desperately
tries to find cures.
Fraser injects some poignancy by
talking about his mother’s unfortunate early illness and how it affected
his development but for the most part the show is played for laughs. As
good as Fraser is in his delivery, there are times when he seems insecure
and uncomfortable on stage. His dialog is punctuated with frenetic
screaming when he talks about his fits of anger, and at those times it
feels as if he is overworking the bit just to get a laugh. Then there’s
that itch or irritation on his right upper hip which he frequently rubs.
Whether it’s to emphasize his paranoid illnesses or whether it’s a real
problem it soon becomes a little distracting and we found ourselves
watching for the next itch to come. At one time the count was 5 times in a
two minute period. That part was not funny.
After all the searching and
probing for a cure, Fraser finds peace with one the most unsophisticated
and simple solutions a person can have. (HINT- It's hairy and has big
eyes). That and Zoloft seem to make Brian Fraser a regular guy who
is trying to overcome a host of real and perceived physical ailments while
trying to find a way to bring laughter to his audiences. Now in its fourth
week, the small house was almost packed which indicates that Fraser is
really funny or there’s a bunch of sick people out there looking for an
answer to a similar problem.
You decide.
The show runs through Sunday, November 06, 2011.
At the Asylum Lab 1078 Lillian Way (Santa Monica
Blvd & Lillian Way) Los Angeles, CA 90038 - Street Parking (get there
early). Reservations at (323) 960-7785 or on line -
Click here
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