This show contains Adult Language
There’s something refreshing about a performer who walks onto a bare stage with nothing more than a keyboard, a microphone and an earnest desire to make people feel good for an hour.
That’s exactly what Tod Kimbro accomplishes in “Happy Human Song Machine,” one of the most heartfelt and musically impressive solo shows at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival.
Fresh off winning the 2025 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Solo Show (Musical), Kimbro returns with a cabaret-style performance built around the idea that music can still create joy in an increasingly chaotic world. It’s an ambitious mission, but his warmth and sincerity make it work. Throughout the show, audience members offer songs that spark happiness for them personally, allowing Kimbro to weave together an eclectic and unpredictable setlist in real time.
One of the evening’s standout moments came during an impromptu mashup of Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run” and “Toxic” by Britney Spears, which somehow managed to feel both hilarious and genuinely inspired. Kimbro is funny, welcoming and deeply engaging throughout, balancing irreverent humor with moments of real emotional connection.
In a festival packed with solo performers, “Happy Human Song Machine” stands out as one of the genre’s strongest offerings and easily one of the most joyful.
See “Tod Kimbro: Happy Human Song Machine“ at the Starlite Room @ SAVOY Orlando on May 16 at 3:00 p.m., May 17 at 7:30 p.m., May 20 at 5:30 p.m., May 21 at 7:00 p.m., May 23 at 4:30 p.m., May 24 at 1:30 p.m.
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Read more about Orlando Fringe’s 35th annual festival here and in the Orlando Fringe program.
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