- Kiss the Giraffe Productions
Inspired by online science videos, half remembered through an alcoholic haze, the creators of Bloodsuckers (4 STARS – Winnipeg Free Press) and other hit Fringe favourites bring you the outrageous musical tale of Tycho Brahe, the notorious golden-nosed astronomer of the Holy Roman Empire.
Follow Tycho as he parties like it’s 1599, with duels, wild benders and a very intoxicated moose (or elk; scholars are undecided). His hapless assistant, Johannes Kepler, needs his boss’s precious star data to prove his own cosmic theories and enlists Tycho’s sister Sophie and court jester Jepp to help rein him in. Can they tame Tycho’s wild ways, or will his profligacy be his undoing? The stakes are astronomical!
Kiss the Giraffe Productions once again does not disappoint. Brilliantly written musical, wonderfully cast, choregraphed, and costumed. I have been singing the title theme song happily for days.
Recommended by both friends and fellow fringe lovers this show is tremendously entertaining. Brilliantly written with witty song lyrics, fabulous music and creative well choreographed dancing. What a festival of fun ! Where can I buy the soundtrack ?! A lady who shared this delightful experience said to my wife and I that she has seen shows on Broadway that weren’t as good. She meant NYC as opposed to our Broadway that runs past the Leg with its own entertainment. Catch the final
show and hope for more from this dynamic team of creators. Superb cast and crew with an appreciative audience.
Super fun show! Definitely did not disappoint – I highly recommend going. It’s one of those shows that makes me proud to be a Winnipegger! Way to go Heather Madill and Joseph Aragon – knockin’ another one out of the park. Congrats to the whole cast and crew. Just freakin’ brilliant!!!
One of my favourite shows this Fringe. I’m not always a fan of musicals, but this one was fantastic. Catchy music, great vocals, excellent choreography, rich costumes. Sometimes funny, sometimes touching. The lead actors are great, as was the whole ensemble. This show would not have been out of place on the MTC mainstage during the regular theatre season. Only critique is that occasionally I found it hard to hear the lyrics over the music. Still, easily five stars.
Phenomenal show!! Incredibly talented cast n crew clearly having a blast alongside the audience; lots of clever moments and laughter in the crowd. My only note is that the AI backdrops took away from the celebration of artistry that this show otherwise was, and even quick watercolour backdrops projected would’ve fit better with period as well. Hopefully something to consider in future productions. Sound and stage were especially impressive toward the end… go see the show, you’ll know which moment I’m referring to, and you’ll have a great time too!
I am a lover of musicals, and this is a good one. Go see the show!
This show was an absolute delight – a full-blown musical about the gold-nosed, duel-fighting, hard-partying 16th/17th century Danish astronomer whose super-accurate measurements of the night sky (most of which, as the show reveals, were actually performed by his sister) laid the groundwork for the Copernican/Keplerian revolution that dethroned the earth as the centre of the universe. Told from the perspective of Brahe’s assistant Johannes Kepler, this features super-catchy original tunes (with serious Little Shop of Horrors and Hamilton vibes), great jokes, spirited performances, amazing costumes and digital backdrops, and a very drunk moose. What’s not to love? My only complaint for the performance I attended was that the sound levels were not properly balanced, so some of the dialogue and lyrics were hard to hear. Otherwise, however, an absolute triumph!
I went to see this, having no prior knowledge of any of the historical figures mentioned in the play except Kepler. This musical presented catchy music (my friend and I were singing “Tycho Freakin Brahe!” in the car after!) interesting characters (I could watch the Tycho Brahe character for hours — so funny), tons of laughs, plot twists. Each of the actors was decked out in stellar costumes. The projection screen behind the actors displayed large, beautiful depictions of each location. The information presented made me curious to do more research. Overall a very well done musical!
I have been to many Fringe shows over the years. This was one of the best. I am going back again this week. Madill and Aragon have outdone themselves this year. The cast is as powerful as any I have seen. Costumes were outstanding! Went away with a huge smile on my face. Don’t miss this show but a word of warning…it almost sold out last night and definitely will for the rest of the week. Get your tickets right away. It is a five star production!
Went to the show blindly with no knowledge of what it was. I found myself smiling the whole time and loving the music and humour. Fun concept and well done. A few ppl were even singing one of the catchy songs in the stairwell on our way out after the show.
I never miss a Kiss the Giraffe Fringe Festival production and I am never disappointed. Tycho Freakin’ Brahe was a delightful mix of history, clever lyrics, catchy music, solid acting and great singing. Bravo Heather Madill and Joseph Aragon … you knocked this one out of the park!
What a fantastic production! My family and I enjoyed it from start to finish – the songs were engaging, the singers’ excellent, the choreography entertaining; even the backdrops noticeably added to to the show.
We all especially liked how the humour landed for all of us, contrasting with other shows where some of us couldn’t get the references.
This was our favourite show this year so far!
The Fringe isn’t complete without a Kiss the Giraffe musical, and Tycho Freakin’ Brahe is great fun. Two highlights are Joseph Aragon’s witty lyrics, with clever rhymes you won’t see coming, and Sam Plett’s voice, which is as golden as Brahe’s famous nose. Bonus: the cast includes a talented choreography team that makes the production numbers sparkle – sometimes literally.
For those not in the know: Kiss the Giraffe consistently delivers high-quality, often original musical theatre at the Fringe—and this year is no exception. While the lead actors give solid performances, it’s the dynamic, full-cast choral numbers that truly steal the show.
The titular character exemplified the stereotype of white folks rapping during one track, but apart from that, good luck finding anything to complain about here. The acting, singing, costumes, props, writing, directing – everything from top to bottom, really – BELONGED on the main stage of MTC. It was hilarious, yet the history it presented was also fascinating in its own right, and Alana Penner and Sam Plett are such a delight, both individually and together. Don’t miss them this fringe. You will regret it.
This musical about the life of astronomer Tycho Brahe is absolutely outstanding, with great music, talented singing, excellent choreography, and hilarious scenes. Five stars for sure.
This show was very well executed. The songs were catchy and the choreography was tight.
There were a couple of glitches with the mics that left one or two performers too quiet. Personally, I also found that the music was sometimes too loud during the songs to clearly hear all the lyrics.
The cast was clearly having fun and the audience was with them. I found it a bit long at 75 minutes, but that could also have been because it was the late night show.
All in all, a fun show, and the songs will be looping in my head all night!
This latest theatrical production of the amazing duo of Heather and Joseph does not disappoint. It is filled with comedy, songs and dance. It is educational as well as fun to watch.