Tue Aug 6, 6:09 PM ET By KATHERINE ROTH, Associated Press Writer NEW YORK
(AP) - Producers of the New York International Fringe Festival have
revealed a taste of wild things to come at the city's increasingly popular
performance and theater arts event.

Now in its sixth year, the festival — with its 195 shows — has become not
only a showcase for actors, performers and artists who push the boundaries
of mainstream theater, but a source of future hits. The wacky, Tony winning
musical, "Urinetown," was featured in the 1999 festival and opened on
Broadway last year; former Fringe shows "Never Swim Alone" and "Last Train
to Nibroc" debuted off-Broadway after being staged in the festival. The
festival provides emerging artists with publicity outlets and a chance to
share ideas and gain wider recognition than their limited resources would
otherwise allow. "We have 195 potential `Urinetowns' here," Elena K. Holy,
FringeNYC's artistic director, said Tuesday. "About half of the artists
would love to be playing on Broadway. The other artists have made careers
playing on off-off-Broadway and have absolutely no commercial interest.
What's great about the festival is getting those two groups together." "Our
entire production crew is under 34 and this is our first big production,"
said Melissa Levis, the lyricist for the musical "The Joys of Sex." "A
producer offered to option our work and we turned him down because we
decided we'd rather show it at the festival. It's a big risk, but it's
worth it," Levis said. The performers of "Minimum Wage," billed as a
"working class musical," also viewed it as a rare opportunity. "It's the
best way to get your material seen by the public," said Jennifer Heaney,
who with her colleagues from Burger Boy Productions sported fast food
restaurant costumes for the piece. Artists pay $350 to participate in the
festival and perform five to seven times during the 17-day event, which
opens Friday and runs through Aug. 15. Theater, dance, improvisation,
spoken word, multimedia and puppetry are all represented. About 38,000
people attended last year's festival and more than 40,000 are expected to
attend this year's 1100 performances, Holy said. Participants include "Him
& Her," a musical by Paul Scott Goodman (writer and composer of "Bright
Lights Big City"), starring Tony Award nominee Liz Larson ("Most Happy
Fella"). "The Way Out," tells the story of convicted murderer Rubin
"Hurricane" Carter. "The Bizarro Balogna Show," a one-man comedy by Dan
Piraro, creator of the syndicated cartoon "Bizarro," features an ode to
Eggs Benedict. And "Almost Obscene," a comedy by Mad magazine senior editor
Joe Raiola, explores everything from flag burning to Internet pornography.
At least two of the pieces include TV stars. Danny Pintauro of "Who's the
Boss?" stars in "beat," a drama about Allen Ginsberg's obscenity trial for
"Howl"; Randy Harrison, of "Queer as Folk," stars in "Deviant," a comedy
about sexual fetishes. The festival includes performers from 16 U.S. cities
and 13 countries. A complete guide is available at Borders book stores and
at the festival's office, 185 Orchard Street. Details are also available
online at www.fringenyc.com.