Review of the Capital Fringe 2024: “Over Her Dead Body: Revival” by Pinky Swear Productions (4 ½ stars)

PPoisoning! Stabbings! Revenge! Ghosts! Ballads! Comedy! Over her dead body has it all in this 70-minute bluegrass dive into the world of murder ballads directed by Kevin Pace and featuring Jordan Avellino, James Finley, Annie Graninger, Karen Lange, Toni Rae Salmi and swinger Beth Amann, who performed Sunday afternoon as this reviewer was in the audience.

Over her dead bodya hit at the Capital Fringe 2016, which was awarded Best Musical and Best of Fringe this year, is celebrating a lively comeback at this year’s Capital Fringe.

Set as a live show on a bluegrass radio program hosted by Big Willy (played by James Finley with Johnny Cash-like panache) and featuring the Appalachian Angels, the theater audience is drawn into the play with a piece of interactive theater, as if they were the live studio audience.

Over her dead body is also an exploration of the male-female dynamic in the ever-popular murder ballads. The musical features songs dating back to the 18th century. A standout piece was a duet between Ava (Karen Lange) and Big Willy – a haunting ballad that tells us, “She walks over those hills with a long black veil and visits his grave…” beautifully sung and performed.

While the three-piece band occasionally drowned out the voices onstage, the four Appalachian Angeles were not only musically but also comedically outstanding, especially when they offered an eager audience the ten best opportunities not To be part of a murder ballad. As Big Willy wryly adds: “There were good men, but we don’t sing about them.”

Pinky Swear Productions is a feminist theatre group and Over her dead body ends with a satisfying, spooky feminist twist.

This troupe is heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this summer and this critic is sure this musical will blow them away!

Playing time: 70 minutes
Genre: Musical
Dates and times:

• July 20 at 20:45
• July 21 at 16:35

Venue: Goldman Theater – Theater J, 1529 16th St NW
Tickets: $15
Further information and tickets: Only over her dead body: resuscitation

The full schedule of the Capital Fringe Festival 2024 is online here.