For the last few years, The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe has been undergoing an effort to sort of re-invent itself: As the Fest moves into its second decade (the first one was back in 1997), its audience has gotten older, competition with other events has gotten stiffer, and currently, a recession looms large over the ticket-buying public. But looking at this year’s schedule, the Fest has already met with some success. Responding to the frequent cry that the Fest is too long by half, this year’s Live Arts schedule seems manageable, and well-thought out. (Meanwhile, the Fringe schedule is a behemoth, with so much going on that even if there is anything of note there, you’d be hard pressed to find it yourself.) One of the most controversial changes this year, though, will be the Fest’s dismantling of the Fringe Cabaret, the nightly after-hours hodgepodge of great and unbearable (but mostly unbearable) performances, traditionally curated by ’90s refugee Scott Johnston. In its place, the Fest is presenting what it’s calling Festival Bar, in that old porn warehouse space at 5th and Fairmount, as its nightly post-show gathering/drinking spot. (Here a word of warning is due: This intersection is pretty much the most easy place to get yourself mugged in the entire city.) With installations by media artist Lars Jan and photographer Jacques-Jean Tiziou, the Festival Bar will be headed up by alternate mayor/barman Fergus “Fergie” Carey, and feature food by local restaurants including Tiffin and Konak. (A full schedule of DJs and events is expected next week.) It’s a decidedly different shift from Fringe afterparties of years past, but lovers of tired drag acts and cankle burlesque (canklesque?) in Philadelphia cannot, will not be kept down: In a Myspace blog last week, Johnston announced the lineup for this year’s “Unofficial Fringe Late Nite Cabaret 2008,” featuring all the usual suspects. Note the post before the schedule, dated back in May — “Current mood: betrayed.” Mmmhmm.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 12:24 pm.