Anne Allgood News

Winner of five Tony Awards and Seven Olivier Awards, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will run at Village Theatre beginning this March. The production, directed by Village Theatre artistic director Jerry Dixon, will be his first directing credit since becoming the organization's artistic leader in June of 2018. Village Theatre's production features an all-new score by Curtis Moore (Broadway: Lucky Guy with Tom Hanks), as well as choreography by Sonia Dawkins (Prism Dance Theatre).

Rehearsals have begun for The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season from November 23 - December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

With one week left until The 18th Annual Festival of New Musicals, Village Theatre is excited to announce this summer's casting and creative teams! Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza) will direct Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Gu?nter, a hilarious family adventure of what happens after Hansel and Gretl escape. Village Theatre's new artistic director Jerry Dixon (If/Then, Once on this Island) will direct the kick-off show Elysium: An American Fable, the moving story of a family dying under the weight of their own secrets; and associate artistic director Brandon Ivie (Jasper in Deadland) will direct The Passage, a coming-of-age mystery about a boy battling a monster holding his father captive. Joining them will be music directors Jason Hart (American Psycho), Rona Siddiqui (Bella: An American Tall Tale), R.J. Tancioco (Here Lies Love), and resident music director Tim Symons (Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion), among others.

I want to start off, Dear Readers, by stating that I really did enjoy ACT's current production of "Tribes". There are some great performances and it's a funny, engaging play with rich dialog. But even with my level of enjoyment in the moments of the play I can't help but also see some glaring shortcomings in the piece itself specifically having to do with the characters and their arcs. But let's set the stage (so to speak) first.

Spanning 28 theater companies and 59 productions, from the largest and most prominent to small, humble and innovative, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor as much professional theater as we reviewers can cram into our year.

The 'large theater' productions of ACT Theatre's The Royale and The 5th Avenue Theatre's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying take top honors and the 'small theater' productions of ArtsWest's Death of a Salesman and Washington Ensemble Theatre's The Things Are Against Us take top honors - for most category wins!?

Spanning 28 theater companies and 59 productions, from the largest and most prominent to small, humble and innovative, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor as much professional theater as we reviewers can cram into our year.

David Ira Goldstein, in his 25th and final year as Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Company, has mounted an intensely human and deeply moving production of FIDDLER that is exemplary both in its distinctive portrayal of characters and place and its magnificent stagecraft (Kathryn Van Meter's spirited choreography, William Forrester's exquisite scenic design, and Cynthia Savage's brilliant costumery).

The beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof, called 'one of the greatest musicals in history' by the New York Daily News and 'Indestructible' by The New Yorker magazine, brings a richly vibrant close to 2016 and a celebratory opening to 2017 in Arizona Theatre Company's epic production as part of ATC's 50th anniversary season.

Some of Seattle's most talented actors will be hard at work in collaboration with writers from around the country in the rehearsal halls of The 5th Avenue Theatre this month as the company's NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals launches its three week intensive development cycle this weekend.

Alice Childress' 'Wedding Band' is an important show-but can feel a bit academic. It isn't overwritten with clever gags or attention-grabbing circumstances, and while this can make the play feel slow, the creative skill of the cast and crew elevates the production.

The 2016-2017 SHOWTUNES Theatre Company season defies expectations and dazzles audiences with three rarely produced concert musicals and two very special musical theatre events. With the introduction of a cabaret in February, Defying Expectations, and a musical theatre-themed Writer's Initiative in May, SHOWTUNES continues to diversify their offerings while demonstrating their unparalleled devotion to this all-American art form. The season begins with three performances October 22-23 at ACT's Allen Theatre. Shenandoah is directed by Matt Wolfe with music direction by RJ Tancioco. The expanded season also includes two concert musicals inside Benaroya Hall's Ilsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall: Leap of Faith on December 3-4 and The Unsinkable Molly Brown on March 11-12, 2017.  

It's something most of us have to do at least 5 days a week, go to work. So you'd think a musical about folks and their working lives would resonate more. But the musical "Working", despite being loved by musical theater nerds, never really caught on. In fact it only ran for 24 performances on Broadway back in 1978. But thankfully the folks at Showtunes have done what they do and dusted this one off for a weekend so more people can discover how wonderful it is.

Showtunes Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the final concert musical of their 16th season, WORKING.

Showtunes Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the final concert musical of their 16th season, WORKING.

Rebecca Gilman's play "Luna Gale" currently performing at the Seattle Rep has no good guys in it. But then it also has no bad guys in it. Instead of preaching morality or her own agenda what she's done is to present a raw and honest look at people. You may not agree with them, but are they wrong?

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Rebecca Gilman's critically acclaimed new play, Luna Gale, a powerful and arresting drama that follows the story of a social worker - played by veteran film, television, and theatre actor Pamela Reed - grappling with decisions that will forever change the course of a foster child's life. Directed by Seattle Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director Braden Abraham, Luna Gale runs March 4-27, 2016 in the Bagley Wright Theatre. Tickets are available now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at (206) 443-2222 and online at seattlerep.org.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE SOUND OF MUSIC has joined the ranks of blockbuster musicals at The 5th Avenue Theatre, becoming the most-attended holiday show in box office history.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'The Sound of Music' is one of those mainstays of the American Musical Theater canon that has endured over the years. Pretty much anyone with a passing interest in musical theater has seen it in some form whether the Julie Andrews film, countless stage productions or even the recent live broadcast on TV (which I like to pretend never happened). And why has the show endured for over 55 years? Because it's simply a well written show. But the problem I find with most productions (especially that one that didn't exist) is the performers sing the well-written songs well but the character and thus the story is lost. Well that is not the case with the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre which had so much character and story in addition to the beautiful voices that I almost felt like I was seeing the show for the first time.

Rehearsals started this week at The 5th Avenue Theatre for the exultant classic musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, the iconic show sweeping Seattle for the holidays. Boasting such beloved songs as 'Do Re Mi,' 'My Favorite Things,' 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen,' and 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain,' this production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music will be presented as only The 5th can do, complete with a sensational live orchestra, stunning costumes, and incredible sets. Under the direction of David Bennett and with choreography by Trina Mills and music direction by Kat Sherrell, this musical will feature an exuberant all-local cast of fresh faces and favorite performers that includes Anne Allgood as the Mother Abbess, joining the previously announced David Pichette as Max Detweiler and Jessica Skerritt as the Baroness Elsa Schraeder, with Hans Altwies as Captain Georg von Trapp and Kirsten deLohr Helland as Maria.