GREAT EXPECTATIONS

The middle stretches of the summer are typically a theatrical dead zone, but the New York International Fringe Festival sees to it that we don’t have to wait it out till fall for some exciting stagecraft. This year’s lineup, the 15th annual, brings the usual mix of of-the-moment musical parodies (Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin’ Rock Opera and The Legend of Julie-Taymor, or the Musical That Killed Everybody!), solo confessionals (four-time National Monologue Champion Katie Northlich in The Panic Diaries), twisted fairy tales (Mind the Gap’s The Average-Sized Mermaid), and stuff about zombies (Zombie Wedding). And now that the Fringe provides a handy search function by interest and ethnicity on their website, the 200-odd shows are easier than ever to navigate.

Aug. 12-28, 2011