Jay Irwin - Page 10

Back in 2017, Dear Readers, Book-It Repertory Theatre brought us the highly anticipated musical adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones beloved book, 'Howl's Moving Castle', adapted by Myra Platt with music and lyrics from Justin Huertas. The show was certainly a charmer but, personally, I found the storytelling confusing and muddled. Platt and Huertas have now remounted the piece with some welcome additions. Still a few confusing bits and superfluous elements but this new adaptation brings so much more of the story to life making the evening of fantasy even more charming.

Back in 2018, a little show came along to Broadway called a?oeHead Over Heelsa??. All I knew was that it was the story of Sir Philip Sydney's a?oeArcadiaa?? with the songs of the 80's pop group, The Go-Go's. OK, another jukebox musical, we'll see. Then I went to NY and it didn't quite make the list of shows I was seeing. But after I found out more about it, like it was touting having the first trans woman originating a principal role on Broadway. Cool. Maybe I'll see it next time. And then it closed. Well, now ArtsWest has picked it up for its Seattle Premiere and I find that the show itself also speaks to homosexuality and gender identities beyond the binary, but not in a documentary or preachy way. Plus, it's a ton of fun. All of which makes me kick myself for not seeing it when I had the chance. But it's here now and ArtsWest nails it!

John Kander and Fred Ebb's a?oeCabareta?? is a bit of a perplexing show for me. Perplexing in that it's done quite often, and it shouldn't be. It should only be done if you can do justice to the story. With a book by Joe Masteroff and based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood, the themes in the play are complex and dark with a bite underlying the sweetness and fun. And when combined with Kander and Ebb's songs which tell stories all on their own, the show has promise to be a gut punch. Unfortunately, the current production from the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, while having some wonderful voices, continually misses the mark on the story making the show an uneven revue of fun numbers but no depth.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Have you heard of her? Maybe not (I know I hadn't before last night). But even if you're unfamiliar with her, you're more than likely familiar with one of the many artists she's influenced. Artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Little Richard to name just a few. But that's kind of the point of the show, a?oeShout Sister Shout!a??, currently playing at the Seattle Rep. A show that tells the story of the a?oeGodmother of Rock n' Rolla??, and how we need to recognize these artists that have been whitewashed and mansplained from history. But even beyond that, you want to catch this for the insanely powerful performance of Carrie Compere as Tharpe, who will have you rockin' in your seat as she tears the roof off the Rep.

There's a reason that Frank Loesser's a?oeGuys & Dollsa?? has endured all these years and keeps coming back, it's a near perfect musical. It's fun and frothy with that rare breed of songs that all move the story along and tell a story of their own. But with these songs, and because of them, you need a love story that reads true, connections with everyone on stage, and storytelling in the staging and choreography as well as in the dialog and lyrics. And while the current production at Village Theatre has some numbers that worked and some wonderful performers, it lacked those three elements making the show a nice collection of performances with no spark or cohesion.

Dear Readers, I've been a fan of a?oeMiss Saigona?? for years now, ever since it first came out back in 1991. I've seen tours, local productions, revivals on Broadway, and even a one-man interpretation that needs to find new life somewhere. So, I know what I'm looking for in any production; amazing voices and a heart wrenching, tear inducing love story. The current production at the Paramount has the voices but lacked the honesty and realism that would satisfy the love story.

The Granddaddy of horror icons has descended upon Seattle and he's just as romantically malevolent as you might want him to be. ACT has brought us Steven Dietz's retooled adaptation of Bram Stoker's a?oeDraculaa?? and this classic tale of the original bloodlust is just what you need for your Spooky Halloween season.

We all know that person, be it friend or co-worker or maybe you ARE that person, who's just a little too PC and a bit too a?oewokea??. They're the first one's to jump on your when you're being culturally insensitive as they see it as their duty to make the world as a?oewokea?? as them. Well now with Larissa Fasthorse's a?oeThe Thanksgiving Playa?? currently being offered from Seattle Public Theater, we can finally laugh in that person's face. Or if you are that person, maybe you can find some moments to laugh at yourself.

Most people are familiar with Jane Austen's a?oePride and Prejudicea??. Whether it's from the book, the mini-series, the movies (even the zombie one), or just from general pop culture, most people know the story. So, turning this into a musical is a bit risky especially with so many Austen-philes out there. But writers Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs, have pulled it off (to an extent) with their new musical a?oeAusten's Pridea??, currently at the 5th Avenue Theatre, and have even tripled the daunting task by making the melodies soar while fitting in the period, combining it with a story of Austen herself, and still retaining the charm and heart of a?oePride and Prejudicea?? along the way.

'They're coming to get you, Barbara!' Yes, you'll definitely hear the iconic line in Weasel Productions inaugural show, 'Night of the Living Dead, LIVE!' Based on George A. Romero's classic zombie film, this parody has everything you'd expect including a delightfully monochrome feel. Unfortunately, the production from this fledgling company also suffers from pacing issues making it drag at times and thus lose its comedy edge.

If you're going to put up an autobiographical play, then you need at least one of two things. You either need a life, or a moment in your life, in which something extraordinary happened, or you need to have moments that amount to a message or meaning that is not widely known by your audience. The Seattle Rep's world premiere of Anna Ziegler's a?oeThe Great Momenta?? has neither of these things. Instead, it amounts to one of my theatrical pet peeves, someone else's therapy on stage.

On the surface, Craig Wright's a?oeThe Paviliona??, currently being offered from Strawberry Theatre Workshop, doesn't have all that much going for it. It's not a particularly enticing or thought provoking subject, a couple reconnecting at a reunion. But what it does have going for it is a cast of three performers, throwing their considerable talents into the roles, and that's what engages about this show more than anything.

There are so many wonderful things going on in a?oeBon Appetit! The Julia Child Operettaa??, the show about one of the world's most recognizable cooking personalities, Julia Child, that it's unbelievable it all happens in under an hour. But then Julia always did make magic happen in such a short time herself.

As we enter the Halloween season, we'll be seeing more and more theater with a spooky or creepy vibe. So, it makes sense that the Can Can would bring back their spooktacular a?oeZombie Cheerleaders from Hella??. The problem is, these zombies are not so terrifying as they are hilarious and titillating. Lucky us! Maybe they should combine the terms to describe their show. a?oeTitifyinga??!

When putting up a show for Children's Theatre, one of the main things you need to concern yourself with is how are the adults doing watching your show. The kids may be having a great time but if there's nothing for the adults who brought the kids to latch onto, then they might not bring the kids back next time. Seattle Children's Theatre usually has that covered with some wonderful performances and artistry. And while their current production of a?oeBlack Beautya?? certainly looked great with some fantastic puppets from Annett Mateo, the story lacked much of an arc and, at least for this adult, failed to thrill.

When the Seattle Rep announced their season and I saw they were taking on Paula Vogel's incredible play a?oeIndecenta?? I was thrilled. But even more so I was surprised as to how many of my friends hadn't heard of it. I mean, it was nominated for a Tony, and even had the entire thing shown on PBS at one point. But still it was only the major theater geeks that had this one on their radar. Well, now that it's here I'm pleased to state that the Rep's production completely met and exceeded my expectations and now I can share my thoughts on this stunning play with you, Dear Readers, and explain why you need to catch it.

Dear Readers, a few years back I was fortunate enough to see a production made possible by ACT and the Kenan Fellowship in Directing, a?oeGuards at the Taja??. A show that still sticks with me to this day. And I say a?oefortunate enougha?? as it was only on stage at ACT for a few performances. Now ACT has brought us the latest recipient of the Kenan Fellowship, Rey Zane, and her production of Anna Jordan's a?oeYena?? and I can tell that this brutal and gripping play will also be one to stick with me thanks to some stunning direction and performances.

A really good Café Nordo show needs more than a good premise and good food. It needs a good script that really tells the story, complimenting the food, and a good pace. Their current incarnation, a?oeViolet's Attica??, has a wonderfully creepy premise which leads us into a fabulously whimsical meal. But the script and pace, while having some fantastic moments, suffer from too many long, drawn out sequences with little payoff.

Really bad puns, noir-ish intrigue and juggling; what more do you need for an evening's entertainment? Well you're in luck, as the Northwest's celebrated comedy juggling troupe, The Flying Karamazov Brothers is back reviving their noir thriller a?oeClub Sandwicha?? at the Broadway Performance Hall. And while at times it may seem like they don't have a clue what's going on, trust me, these gifted performers and improvisors know exactly what to do, even when it all goes wrong.

Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel's soaring romantic and tragic musical a?oeLight in the Piazzaa?? is not often tackled a?? thank the theater Gods. I'm not saying it's bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that I'd hate to see every small company, without the resources to handle it well, take it on. Fortunately, they've built in a few traps that may dissuade. First off, it's not your typical, rollicking musical with songs you'll be singing after. Second, there's all that Italian that your cast needs to learn and deliver authentically. And finally, it's some tough music. It needs to be done by insanely talented professionals who can handle these beautiful melodies that fly up into the rafters (often in Italian) as well as the heartfelt story. Enter Showtunes Theatre as they begin their 20th season, who routinely gather together the cream of the crop of Seattle artists for just a few weekends, books in hand, and you'll find yourself gifted with the mind-blowingly gorgeous evening that is their current production of a?oeLight in the Piazzaa??.