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Kris Rothstein's Blog

In the Yard, Havin' Fun: A Prison Musical

Kris Rothstein

Nick Krgovich is the force behind Vancouver band No Kids (formerly p:ano) and the composer of music for many great side projects. His take on the 20 Minute Musical was the most elaborate, with lots of choreography, romantic duets and a set that includes a jail cell. In the Yard, Havin' Fun lovingly spoofs the genre, going over the top but still delivering great songs. A trio of female prison workers liberates three benign convicts and much fun is had by all.

Juana Molina is a fantastic singer-songwriter from Argentina who makes interesting electronic music with layers of sampled vocals. She was the final composer to deliver a musical - it was disappointment and a bit of an insult to the audience. Molina made no attempt to tackle the innovative '20 Minute Musical' remit, instead choosing to play old songs available on CD. Her concession to the form was to have some lighting, some incense and two people dressed as jellyfish. Not cool.

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