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The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show, written and directed by Daniel Carin & Chris Sandiford

The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show is a delightful trip into the swanky shared living space of two eccentric Las Vegas crooners.

Daniel Carin and Chris Sandiford portray incredibly silly lounge-singer versions of themselves, making broad references to performers like Frank Sinatra and periodically reminding the audience that they are in fact "old-timey crooners". The show kicks off with a musical number and plenty of touching of the audience. I got a big hug, one man got his head kissed, and a woman got a sip taken from her drink (that got a solid laugh out of me, not so much the person who paid for the drink). The remainder of the show consists mostly of the duo hilariously quipping back and forth about the stereotypical crooner lifestyle, as well as checking in with their pal Piano Joe on sound and lights.

The chemistry between these two is out the wazoo, a skill I've had the great pleasure of watching them develop on a weekly basis at Café Shaika's Tuesday open mic night. If you're a fan of the swing-era, quirky conversation, and pasta, give this show a go! 

The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show runs until Saturday, June 21st at Cabaret du Mile End (5240 du Parc). Visit the Montreal Fringe Festival website for details and ticket info!

--Jacob Greco hosts Don't Mess This Up, Jacob every Thursday at 1:30-2:00PM on CJLO.

IMO (In My Opinion), written by Jess Salomon

The headline on Jess Salomon's personal webpage reads, "writer, comedian, family disappointment". She left behind her career as a war crimes lawyer for the United Nations to become a comedian, and her new act, IMO (In My Opinion), marks her third year performing stand-up at the Montreal Fringe Festival.

The premise of IMO is that you can't trust the media, you can't trust the government, but you can trust Jess! The material was well-written (in a similar style as Louis C.K.), and included unsettling jokes about the hard truths of this fucked up world. Salomon presented herself as a talking-head pundit, but the commitmeent to that idea was somewhat unconvincing in her stand-up routine. 

Due to what could be described as a sort of Canadian "politeness" present in her delivery, some parts lacked the bite Salomon needed to hit those punchlines. IMO did have some hilarious moments, though, and perhaps her fan base will grow once Salomon becomes comfortable speaking from the margins.

IMO (In My Opinion) runs until June 22nd at Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Sainte-Catherine E.). Check out the schedule at the Fringe Festival website.

Cherry Typhoon and her Burlesque Ninja, written and directed by Cherry Typhoon, choreography by Cherry Typhoon and her burlesque ninja

The Montreal Fringe Festival proudly added Burlesque superstar Cherry Typhoon to their roster this year. If you're unfamiliar with this Japanese performer, she's made the rounds internationally, performing for well over a decade. In her latest production, Cherry Typhoon and her Burlesque Ninja, Typhoon is joined by three beautiful performers to tell the comical tale of Sensei Typhoon's ousting of the evil Moustache with the help of her three Ninjas.

The performance is ripe with comical over-acting, typical of Japanese animation and drama, and plenty of English and Japanese dialogue from Typhoon and her cast. But what sets this show apart is the level of talent that each cast member brings in: from Izumi Goto's sensational incorporation of an accordion, to Lou on the Rocks' jaw-dropping dancing that's reminiscent of a scene right out of Pulp Fiction. The selection of music is diverse, touching on Japanese renditions of songs, Latin-American originals, and some classics from North America. Lasting 45 minutes, the performance strikes all the right notes at the right time, and takes no breaks or interludes from start to finish. While other burlesque shows use large stages, colourful lights, and special effects, Cherry Typhoon and her Burlesque Ninja plays it safe, and uses a handful of props like masks, stuffed animals, and some colourful music to add to the comical drama between the dance numbers.

Of the most memorable numbers, a burlesque rendition of Black Swan near the end of the show is done masterfully and tastefully by Odile Shijimi. No stranger to ballet, she repeats the classic dance number in a burlesque style that left the audience unsure if they should be cheering or quietly admiring the beauty that was unfolding on stage.

You can catch this high-octane burlesque at The Wiggle Room (3874 Saint-Laurent) until June 22nd, and if you're a fan of burlesque, you definitely should. Check out all the relevant info on the Montreal Fringe Festival website, or http://www.cherrytyphoon.com/.

--Jocelyn Beaudet hosts The Dead of Night the Loneliest Hours, Fridays at 11:59 PM on CJLO 1690 AM

4 Girls 4 Ever, written by Ned Cox and Alexandria Haber, directed by Jen Quinn

4 Girls 4 Ever is about four women getting locked in a classroom on the night of their 25-year high school reunion. The set design was excellent, as I truly felt like I was sitting in an abandoned classroom in a school basement. As I admired the Swim Team poster, my neighbour pointed out the song playing: "Oh yeah" by Yellow from the Ferris Bueller's Day Off soundtrack. Did I mention that this show was also described as "The Breakfast Club for Grown Ups?" As I listened to my neighbour make references to all these '80s movies that I have never seen, I had a sneaking suspicion that I was not the target audience for this show.

I did still find things to entertain me however. The four actresses, Amanda Kellock, Danielle Desormeaux, Jane Wheeler, and Fanny LaCroix did phenomenal work, with each character a fully-developed human with hilarious mannerisms. The work of these four women is what makes the show entertaining. Unfortunately, after these wonderful characters are established, we don't really get a chance to watch them relate to each other, instead they just talk at each other. There was unnecessary narration, and also a redundant, poorly written summary at the very end of the show. There was a solid idea at the base of this script, but it was underdeveloped.

That being said, a lot of people in the audience laughed when I didn't, and this show has sold out more than once, so go see it if you like The Breakfast Club. I'm curious to know what you think.  

4 Girls 4 Ever runs at the Espace Freestanding Room (4324 Saint-Laurent, #300) until June 20th. Schedule and ticket information is available at http://montrealfringe.ca/en/2014/4-girls-4-ever.