Toronto Fringe Festival 2026
A Moment for Frayed Nerves
Kevin Wong
Genre: Musical Theatre
Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2P3
Festival: Toronto Fringe Festival
Low Down
In the one hour at the Fringe, you will laugh, be inspired, and be touched by the sincerity of the story. This is a musical that is joyous, introspective, and entertaining. It will stay with you long after leaving the theatre.
Review
A Moment for Frayed Nerves is a new experimental musical, created by composer Kevin Wong and choreographer Alysa Pires.
I first became award of Kevin Wong when the SING! Toronto a cappella festival presented the Asian Riffing Trio, of which he was one of the singers. He was mesmerizing as a performer and thrilling as a vocalist. He has a long pedigree as a composer, lyricist, teacher, and singer, so this production is clearly a demonstration of his enormous talent.
Choreographer Alysa Pires’ works have been performed by major league companies New York City Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, Alberta Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Ballet Kelowna, Ballet Edmonton, and more. Her ballet was presented at the Fall for Dance North Festival in Toronto and the China Arts Expo in Beijing.
This is a powerhouse duo that delivers a stunning production at the Toronto Fringe. The songs are beautifully written, very much in Broadway style, influenced by 21st century American choral composer Morten Lauridsen, 80s Japanese city pop, 90s early R and B, and 2020s synth pop. The choreography perfectly enhances the music and is well-performed.
The production opens with a solo singer, illuminated by a single light. Her ballad is full of pathos and drama. The show then moves into the main plot: creating a dinner for guests. There are the two maître d’s, who keep the story line moving through each course of the meal. Songs serve as a palate cleaners in between courses. There is an hilarious chef and some very camp routines around cooking.
My favourite was Potato. He is the outlier who just wants to be included but the others shun him. The rest of the cast is dressed in all black and he is clad in dungarees and a colourful shirt. His lines are witty and the physical movements can be hilarious. He is a true gem of the production, who addresses the issues of inclusion and fairness. Is this an allegory? Are we all just potatoes in the bag waiting for our opportunity to fit in?
And there are serious moments: a song about inspiration and getting started; a stunning dance piece accented by wispy scarves.
The weakness that I found was the audibility of the singers. Wong deliberately chose to have the singers off-mic. However, the background instrumentals sometimes overpowered the singing. Even sitting in the third row I had challenges clearly hearing the lyrics.
The cast works well together. Some are stronger singers than others, but the ensemble pieces are solid.
The cast is: Delia Clark-Bautista, Nathaniel Cadougan, EJ Candelaria, Sarah Evasiw, Claire Haig-Halsall, Violet Legarde, Marissa Monk, Bryan Nothling, Chris Otchere, Helena Shields-Ballantyne. Dramaturg: Rielle Braid; Producer: Lucy McPhee; Lighting Designer: Logan Raju Cracknell; Stage Manager: Zahra Esmail.
This show has the potential for a bigger run at major theatres if it were to extend to 90 minutes. With the talent behind the production, that should be a manageable expansion.
In the one hour at the Fringe, you will laugh, be inspired, and be touched by the sincerity of the story. This is a musical that is joyous, introspective, and entertaining. It will stay with you long after leaving the theatre.
The show is part of the Alliance for Canadian Musicals at the Toronto Fringe.
