Say Hello to Vincent van Gogh
Say Hello to Vincent van Gogh
Starring Jeff Golden
Jay Golden Enterprises
Red Venue
Orlando Fringe Festival
Loch Haven Park, Orlando, FL</strong>
Well, HERE’S an angry Bob Ross, complete with Borscht Belt Jokes and a sight gag about a severed ear. Jay Golden channels Vincent Van Gogh through the gimmick of a steam punk time machine – we don’t see it, but it puts him in today’s world with enough logic to justify the show. Van Gogh was unstable and famously unsuccessful at painting, love, money, and religion, and we hear the artist complain and explain as he paints a facsimile of “Starry Night.” Golden’s Bronx accent is only a slight distraction until he mentions it, then the gimmick is damaged and his gags land in that awkward spot where we want to laugh but aren’t sure if we should. Golden does little to help us, and the result is as I believe he intends – we are learning about a difficult genius, unrecognized in his own day and in no way ready to understand his post mortem success. It’s a hard show to like, but ultimately I did.
This show was part of the 2015 Orlando Fringe Festival. Information on tickets and times may be found at www.OrlandoFringe.org.
