The Karate Guy is already the most buzzed-about show of the 2009 Orlando Fringe!

“ I'm a sucker for pop-culture parodies. Especially from the '80s. And I'm still kicking myself for missing "Jedi Handbook" last year, also by the same artists behind this show, so I'm not making the same mistake twice. (Oh, and if you can't guess from the title, this show parodies Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-Son from the '80s classic "The Karate Kid.")” –Tanya Hanson, Metromix Orlando (4/14/09)
http://orlando.metromix.com/events/blog_post/theater-fringe-preview/1099524/content

“From KMK Productions, a clever comedy that massages the Mr. Miyagi funny bone. One “K” stands for Kubersky, as in Seth, our Live Active Cultures columnist and arts writer; the other “K” represents Christian Kelty, sandwiching the “M” of Michael Marinaccio. Those three names together equal big laughs.” – Lindy T. Shepherd, Orlando Weekly (4/16/09)
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/artsculture/story.asp?id=13095

...  For the first night we decided on "The Karate Guy" ... because anything Christian Kelty does is beyond alright by me, and now I'm a Super Fan of Michael Marinaccio as well. I'm pretty sure he's officially my Fringe crush for this year but it's only night one of the festival....
...Ben had never seen the Karate Kid, and I hadn't seen it since back in the day, so we were a little worried about getting all of the references. And though we couldn't sing all of the cheesy accompanying songs verbatim like the guys behind us, there were plenty of other whack '80's film references thrown in for good measure, and just plain good writing and acting as well. The house was packed - looked to be sold out - and the crowd was in high spirits. Missed some good lines because we were all laughing so hard, but there are far worse things to complain about... No matter the risk, "The Karate Guy" was funny as hell! From radio producer Katie Ball's blog

Orlando Sentinel (5/16/09)
By Kelly Fitzpatrick, Sentinel Staff Writer

It's been a cruel 25 years for Daniel LaRusso (Michael Marinaccio) after winning the tournament in The Karate Kid . These days he's living in the past, too busy drinking and doping himself into a near coma to care about waxing on and off.

Meanwhile, Daniel's mom, hilariously played by Eric Pinder, tortures him with her fling with Daniel's arch nemesis Johnny Lawrence (Christian Kelty). Kelty and Pinder work great together and an altar scene with the two of them is reason alone to see the show.

Mr. Miyagi (Terrence Yip) once again attempts to help Daniel, giving us the real reason why Daniel became such a loser. Yip's timing is one of the high points of the show.

There were a couple of lulls during dialogue and a line or two fumbled but overall it's another solid show from these Fringe favorites.

With minimal stage props, the success of the show relies heavily on the actors' performances. A projector screen behind them plays scenes from the movie, serving as a backdrop.

Marinaccio nails the Jersey accent with a dash of whine that Ralph Macchio originally delivered.

A homage to ‘80s teen flicks, it's a show you don't want to miss.

Remaining performances: 10:30 p.m. 5/17, 6 p.m. 5/19, 8:20 p.m. 5/22, 6:30 p.m. 5/23, noon 5/24. Pink Venue.

Orlando Weekly (5/17/09)
By Trevor Fraser

Hey, remember the '80s? KMK Productions (Christian Kelty, Michael Marinaccio, Seth Kubersky) sure does. And as an ode to the Reaganite era, they've written The Karate Guy , an updated sequel to ... well, if you can't figure it out, you won't want to see this.
Daniel-san (Marinaccio) is now pushing 40. He clings to the memory of his heroic championship win (without the use of real karate) while he gets drunk, lives with his mom (Eric Pinder) and works at the Cobra Kai Car Wash for his old nemesis, Johnny Lawrence (Kelty, hilarious from first entrance).
He still hangs with Miyagi (Terrence Yip), whose nigh-racist Miyagi-isms have grown cynical with age. But hopefully Miyagi can help Daniel figure out if the hot, troubled girl at work (Sarah Jane Fridlich) is a nymphomaniac or a compulsive liar.  
If you don't get that last reference, you might be in the wrong place. The show doesn't just nod to John Hughes' flicks, it culls entire scenes and exchanges, devoid of context within this story. The jokes are in the remembering.  
The performances are elevated beyond what the material calls for. Kubersky's direction gives this show a blend of Airplane -like surrealism and Judd Apatow nuance. Marinaccio is so committed to this Daniel-san, it's hard not to see the real person in him.
The person they're hoping you see is yourself, the inner-man-child, that still wants the big win to change everything.