Still More Theater Saturday - Bride to Be, The Sexiest Man Alive, & Portia and Ellen

We received complimentary tickets to Bride to Be for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Bride to Be

Where: Wild Project

              195 E. 3rd St.

              New York, NY

When: This show concluded its run, as part of the New York City Fringe Festival, on April 17, 2026.

Meg Millane is engaged and ecstatic, and she wants everyone to share in her happiness. This solo show is the result. In between gushing about her engagement, her fiancé, and her upcoming nuptials, she effortlessly glides in and out of various wedding-related characters with a slight change of costume or the addition of a wig. 

The change is not just cosmetic either. Her whole attitude, demeanor, and even way of speaking change as well as she completely inhabits each new character. An anal retentive wedding planner, an overbearing maid of honor, and a somewhat dark and creepy wedding singer are only a few of the characters she takes on. 

Although the show starts out slowly, it quickly picks up speed and moves extremely briskly for the duration. Despite a bit of whiplash from the frenetic pace, Millane's joy is so overwhelming that the audience can't help getting swept up in it. Whether you are currently engaged, you're already married, or you have ever been part of a wedding, even as just a guest, you can enjoy and relate to this fun show. 

And that's our view. For more about this show, visit tickets.frigid.nyc/event/6897:1347/

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We received complimentary tickets to The Sexiest Man Alive for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: The Sexiest Man Alive

Where: Wild Project

              195 E. 3rd St.

              New York, NY

When: This show concluded its run, as part of the New York City Fringe Festival, on April 15, 2026.

The Sexiest Man Alive posits a world in which it is scientifically determined that an average Joe doctor is the actual Sexiest Man Alive. Thus, People Magazine sets out to recruit him to grace their annual Sexiest Man of the Year cover. 

Although the premise is somewhat interesting, the actual show is not. The plot doesn't make much sense, nor is the show as funny as it wants to be, although there are amusing moments. Neither are the songs memorable. On the whole, despite decent performances from the fully committed cast, the show was extremely underwhelming. 

And that's our view. For more about this show, visit https://tickets.frigid.nyc/event/6897:1369.

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What: Portia and Ellen

Where:  Under St. Marks

               94 St. Marks Pl.

              New York, NY

When: This show concluded its run, as part of the New York City Fringe Festival, on April 15, 2026.

The play Portia and Ellen tells the story of the celebrity pair, Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres, as they deal with the impending ending of the latter's eponymous talk show. The performances are spot on.  Cousins Heather Seltzer and Sarah Hartley really capture De Rossi's sophisticated, somewhat aloof air and DeGenere's frenetic energy, respectively. Hartley does a particularly good job of inhabiting DeGenere's right down to her familiar mannerisms. 

The show is a bit disappointing, however. It mostly deals with Ellen feeling sad about losing her show and Portia half heartedly trying to help her through it. It is hard to feel sorry for someone whose downfall resulted from their own hubris. After all, you can't build a brand on something you are not willing to embrace in your own life. 

Thus, the moments when the show emulates Ellen's talk show are much more enjoyable than when she is home with Portia, feeling sorry for herself.   The segments also allow Seltzer her moments to shine playing a variety of celebrities, as Portia's much more laid-back style is much less showy than Ellen's over-the-top energy. They also add some levity to the proceedings through the guests' slyly amusing connections to Ellen and her situation. 

The ending of the show is seemingly meant to make a profound statement as DeGeneres comes to a kind of reckoning, quite literally, in the face of the vast multitude of time and space. However, based on what we know about her, this reckoning doesn't ring true. Therefore, although the show is brilliantly delightful and engaging at times, it ultimately feels a bit unsatisfactory.

And that's our view. For more about this show, visit https://tickets.frigid.nyc/event/6897:1349.

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop. 

Photo credits:

All Bride to Be production photos by Benjamin Rivera photography

All The Sexiest Man Alive production photos supplied by the production

All Portia and Ellen production photos by Kathryn Cooper

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.