Jay Irwin

Dear Readers, if you know my reviews then you know how picky I can be, especially with shows I love. One such show is certainly “Legally Blonde: The Musical”, currently playing at Village Theatre. I managed to see the original cast down in San Francisco and it’s always held a special place in my heart. Plus, I just think it’s an outstanding show. So, while I think the current Village production has oodles going for it in regards to talent and general all-around fun, there were just a few tiny things that kept it from blowing me away, the big one being that ineffable spark. But we’ll get to that.

Dear Readers, something struck me last night while watching the juggernaut musical “Wicked”, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. No, it wasn’t a flying monkey. It’s just how incredible this show is. It’s withstood the test of time ever since it’s Broadway premiere back in 2003 even though it didn’t win the Tony for Best Musical (that year it went to “Avenue Q”). It’s still running on Broadway, there have been tour after tour, and now we even have a huge blockbuster movie version coming to theaters in a few weeks. But why? For that answer I think we should take a look at this current run which, while not my favorite viewing of the show, still exemplifies what makes this show great.

Dear Readers, really good storytelling doesn’t need flash and glitz. Sometimes, it just needs a touching story with solid performances. Such is Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Primary Trust” currently playing at the Seattle Rep. A sweet little unassuming story with a lovely arc.

Dear Readers, like many, I love a good rollicking backstage comedy. One of those plays within a play where we get to peek behind the stage and check out the antics happening beyond. The classic “Noises Off” for example has always been one of my favorites. Now, along comes this new work from Katie Forgette, “Mrs. Loman is Leaving”, currently at ACT, and while certainly having more than a few funny moments, for a show that makes it very clear to be focused on the oft forgotten Mrs. Loman, and women in general, the resolution of her story arc felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying.

Dear Readers, I’m all for new works, especially well written new works such as “The Park” by Lisa Every and Jenn Ruzumna, currently performing at Seattle Public Theatre. But as much as I liked the dialog in “The Park” it fell into two of my least favorite traps, a lack of point or reason for the piece as well as the dreaded someone else’s therapy on stage.

Dear Readers, I’m all for a show poking fun at darker, heavier topics. Hell, there’s a comedy on Broadway right now centered around the night President Lincoln was shot. But if you have something funny or poignant to say, make sure it’s not the same bit for two and a half hours such as was the case with the Seattle Rep’s current production of Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth”.

And now we have the tour, currently playing at The Paramount Theatre. And it looks like the producers have learned their lesson with the “stunt casting” and just brought in people who can handle the part, such as Hannah Shankman as the irrepressible Fanny Brice, who is making her debut with the tour here in Seattle. And she has certainly left her mark on the role and on our town.

Dear Readers, it looks like we have a new show topic trend hitting us square in our CPU, artificial intelligence and how it’s becoming more and more a part of our world. There’s a new musical about robots falling in love about to start on Broadway. And in the last week I’ve seen two shows in this vein, the latest, “Abacus” by Duane Kelly from Red Rover Theatre Company, currently playing at West of Lenin, is sweet but needs more and less to say simultaneously.

The machines are coming for our livelihoods, Dear Readers. That was the fear a century ago with the 1923 play “The Adding Machine” by Elmer Rice. And that sentiment still holds true today with many terrified of the advancements of Artificial Intelligence or AI. And that’s what this new production “The Adding Machine: A Cyborg Morality Play” from The Feast (formerly The Williams Project) capitalizes on, creating a thoughtful and timely bent on a classic.

I’m happy to say that what I witnessed last night is what I like to refer to as theatrical alchemy, when all the parts of a show, cast, set, direction, costumes, etc., all come together to form gold.

Dear Readers, there is nothing like live theater, especially when it all comes together. And even though Selina Fillinger’s hilarious play “POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive”, currently playing at ACT, cannot claim that it ALL came together (especially last night, but we’ll get to that), what did come together was comedy gold even with (and sometimes including) that little hiccup.

Dear Readers, if you’ve seen a show from Reboot Theatre Company, you know they like to tackle old gems and turn them on their heads with non-traditional casting and perspectives. And just like when companies attempt to transplant Shakespeare or other works into different locales or time periods, sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. The major test on whether it works, for me at least, is “does the change lend itself to a new an interesting perspective of the piece?” Fortunately, Reboot’s current production of “Damn Yankees” does give us a new and interesting perspective. Unfortunately, the execution of that perspective needs some work.

Star-crossed lovers, a doomed ship, an iceberg, a gem, and a big damn door. I am, of course, Dear Readers, talking about “Titanic” or rather in this case, the parody from The Habit and Seattle Public Theater, “Titanish”. It’s back for another summer run and once again a must see!

Dear Readers, I’m of two minds in reviewing this revised production of “Peter Pan” currently playing at the Paramount. First as a season ticket holder who came to the show with no kids and wants a quality musical, I question the inclusion of this in the season and find it not all that great, but from the viewpoint of a kids show, it has its merits.

I’m about to commit a musical theater geek sin, Dear Readers, so get the torches and pitchforks ready. I don’t care for Stephen Sondheim’s show, “Company”. I appreciate it for what it is, but I think it rambles, and ultimately says not very much at all. Then along comes the revival of the show with a gender swap element, currently playing at the Paramount. And this new take did not help my appreciation, in fact it exasperates all the things I find problematic with the show and adds in a slew of new issues.

Dear Readers, the musical version of the hit 1992, Whoopi Goldberg comedy “Sister Act” has never been one of my favorites. On paper it should work with an Alan Menken score and fabulous source material were it not for those lackluster Glenn Slater lyrics. He writes passable songs but nothing that truly grabs you. But it’s a big, flashy musical with nuns rocking out so it isn’t all bad. But I must emphasize “big”, which is why the choice to put this up on Taproot Theatre’s quite cozy space baffled me. However, director Bretteney Beverly managed it. Sure, there were some downfalls, but overall, she managed it.

Dear Readers, chances are you played that classic board game “Clue” as a kid. That game of weapons and rooms and attempting to decipher who the killer is. And if so, then you also may have seen the classic 80’s comedy movie based on that game with a litany of comedy heavy hitters playing those iconic suspects. And if you’re like me, and love both of those things, when you heard a stage version of “Clue” was coming to the 5th Avenue Theatre you may have thought, “oh no, this could be dreadful”. Luckily, Dear Readers, it’s actually a lot of fun. In fact, I laughed out loud multiple times, and not just at the jokes I remembered from the movie.

Dear Readers, I will admit that “Girl From the North Country”, currently playing at The Paramount, is a tough one to get into. It’s not a happy little romp and not structured like your typical musical. But if you can get past the bleak and let those voices wash over you, it’s a tragically beautiful ride, assuming they can work out some of those sound mixing issues in the theater.

Dear Readers, I should start by saying that “Spring Awakening”, the musical from Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, has never been one of my favorites. But that first national tour and especially the 2012 local production from Balagan Theatre gave me a better appreciation for the show for what it is. However, the current production from the 5th Avenue Theatre did not.

Dear Readers, as you know, I’ve often extolled the fabulousness of the shows at The Can Can. Director Chris Pink and the cast and crew repeatedly bring the goods. And I’ve often commented on how one show after another may be one of my new favorites of theirs. Well, Dear Readers, they’ve done it again with, “Dolly!”!