The self-professed 'Jewponese' comic makes a fun-filled, glamorous and amusing song and dance of his Fringe debut
As if it wasn't hard enough for a Fringe performer on a quiet (by festival standards) Monday night, competing for punters with the multitude of other shows, a great big massive storm named Floris blows in to disrupt any public transport entering Edinburgh. But of course the show must go on, and Dylan Adler braved the elements to ensure as much. As did many audience members by the looks of it, as it's almost a full house at Pleasance Courtyard's Beside venue.
"Thank you for risking your lives to come to my show," Adler swoons before taking a seat behind the electric piano and drawing out intricate flourishes like a classical maestro. Don't be fooled by the solemnity, however, as Haus of Dy-lan is a very silly show. It's a heartfelt hour that can laugh at itself – sorry, //with// itself – a necessary clarification, as the San Franciscan comedian unpacks a near-lifetime of bullying wrapped up in punchlines and melodies.
His first number is about the time he sang 'My Heart Will Go On' in 5th grade (that's ages 10 to 11 for the Brits in the room) while dressed as Disney hero Mulan and was called gay in a variety of slurs. In spite of this, he says he still felt like a star, and continued taking to the stage. Now he performs in front of much bigger (and more welcoming) audiences, such as on the Late Late Show with James Corden, on which he's also worked as a writer, and on the big screen in Chelsea Peretti's film First Time Female Director.
His platform isn't quite so grand tonight, but it's all Adler needs to present the cheeky pomp and humour of Haus of Dy-lan – named because someone assumed Dylan must be pronounced like 'Dianne' (instead of 'villain') given his Asian heritage. He's half Japanese, half Jewish, you see. His father is a Reform Jew and they celebrate the big holidays, but he didn’t have a bar mitzvah. His maternal grandmother was interned at a USA concentration camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II and, because of this, she eschewed her mother tongue and the language didn't quite reach Adler. In fact, the comic speaks more Spanish than he does Japanese, or even Hebrew, which we discover as he injects a smattering of them all into his hour. "Soy vey, bitch," he quips. "Mazel tofu."
This is very much a show about identity and Adler's struggles against homophobia and racism, told through touching stories and genuinely catchy songs and parodies (the genius transition from Phantom of the Opera to Vanessa Carlton deserves a mention). At times the cheesiness can get a little overbearing, but it doesn't detract from the smart, glitzy, tummy-ticklingly funny journey of one guy trying to find his place in the modern world.
By Danielle Goldstein
Dylan Adler: Haus of Dy-lan runs until Sunday 24 August. £13/£15, £12/£14 concs. 7.30pm. Beside @ Pleasance Courtyard, EH8 9TJ. edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/dylan-adler-haus-of-dy-lan