By: Natalie Lipka & Wayne Frazier

We chose to see The Devil and Billy Markham because we were intrigued about the other side of Shel Silverstein and his adult poems. Let me tell you, this poem was far from the “The Giving Tree”. We were excited that the show was being performed on the stage located in the back room of our new favorite cocktail lounge, The 3 Clubs. When we arrived, the place was packed, but we lucked out and tucked ourselves into the far corner. Though our seats had limited vision, it didn’t matter. Aaron played to a standing room only house, but he made you feel like you were the only one in the room. Aaron, with one very sexy dancer (Ruth Fox) and an ensemble group of musicians (Hank Dougan, Carlos Felipe Flores, Kevin Katich) that didn’t miss a cue, took the theater goers on a fantastical journey from earth to hell to heaven to hell and back. It was scary, it was erotic and most of all it was very funny.
After the show, Natalie had the opportunity to chat with the very passionate, Aaron, who shared that he had been wanting to do this show for eight years. He actually signed up for Fringe this year without having anything ready. He explained that Fringe is, “a safe place to fall on your ass and fail.” He was far from failing. Not only did The Devil and Billy Markham get extended, but it was also a festival favorite that won numerous awards.

Natalie Lipka & Aaron Lyons

While Natalie was chatting with Aaron, Wayne got a quick interview with the director of the show, Amanda McRaven who seemed very happy with the whole experience. She said, “Aaron wanted to do it for years. He and I have known each other for thirteen years and I’ve never directed him. So, I was intrigued by the idea. I love Shel Silverstein. I’m a really big fan of Aaron’s acting and I love live music…So it was like, bring it all together.” They certainly did and the crowd loved it and so did we.

For more information on The Devil and Billy Markham CLICK HERE