Jay Irwin - Page 23

Dear Readers, there's not much I can tell you about Nassim Soleimanpour's searing play, 'White Rabbit Red Rabbit' currently having it's Northwest Premiere at 18th and Union from Radial Theater Project. I'm unable to tell you about the play not because I don't remember but because you shouldn't know in advance. That's part of the show. I urge you not to Google any information about the show. But I also equally urge you to move hell or high water to catch this one, as it's a thrilling emotional journey unlike anything you're likely to have seen before.

One of my favorite things in seeing all the shows I do is to stumble upon one that I like to refer to as 'alchemy'. It's that rare instance where all of the elements, the script, actors, director, set, costume, lights, music, etc all come together in just the right way and at just the right times to form pure gold. It may look like science or technical expertise but it's really just magic. One of those shows is ACT's current production of Christopher Hampton's 'Dangerous Liaisons'. If in seeing this show you are not able to have a thrilling night then you're just not paying attention.

Euripides' tragic title character in 'Medea' is one of those parts that actresses give their eye teeth (or even sacrifice their children) to play. She's a strong and committed woman with a wildly emotional arc. So with a role such as this where it's really all up to the lead, for the rest of the production I find it best to follow the rule of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Unfortunately director Kelly Kitchens and the folks at Seattle Shakespeare Company had other ideas with their current production as it was so laden down with their storytelling gimmicks that the story and the stunning lead performance became diluted.

Powerful plays such as "Angels in America" and "The Normal Heart" have driven right to the heart of the AIDS epidemic by spotlighting the ignorance and bureaucracy at the center of the disease which allowed it to spiral out of control so quickly. But beyond the gay community there was another group on the periphery of this pandemic that were hit equally hard and in some ways worse in those early days when the President even refused to say the word AIDS in public. The hemophiliacs. The Seattle Rep's new World Premiere play "Roz and Ray" offers up a peek inside that world and creates a powerful look at the kind of harm people with the best intentions can do.

Sometimes some of the best shows out there are the cult followed ones, the ones that are really only known by niche groups or musical theater nerds. While mainstream audiences may go to shows about green girls or founding fathers, there are other audiences who travel off the beaten path to see shows Off-Broadway (or even Off-Off=Broadway) but those shows don't always get a life after their Off-Broadway Runs. Such a show could be the successful but short lived show "Murder Ballad". Luckily there are companies such as Sidecountry Theatre who take on these gems regionally the same way they tackled the brilliant "Passing Strange" a little while ago. And they tackle them with not only talent but also the obvious love and respect for a piece that deserves a wider audience.

The major problem I have seen with jukebox musicals is they may have the music to entertain with a nostalgic value but not the book. Then there's the pitfall of the music itself being so focused on one artist that, unless you're a die-hard fan, you can get bored ('Jersey Boys' falls into both traps for me). But sometimes there are shows like 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' currently performing at the Paramount Theatre that manage to hurtle both obstacles with seeming ease. Yes, the songs are all there but as we're looking at the career of a songwriter as well as performer we get a very diverse sound. Plus the book goes well beyond 'and then I did this song, and then I did that song' with a thoroughly engaging story making this one of those rare jukebox musicals that works on every level.

Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion's "Man of La Mancha" is a bona fide classic. It's a sweeping epic filled with power, pathos, romance, and tragedy … when it's done right. The show is by no means bulletproof. I've seen incredible productions and I've seen mediocre productions. And after the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre now I can say I've seen an atrocious production. Not only does it do no honor to the beauty of the original but it also does no honor to basic tenets of good musical theater. And for a musical theater nerd such as myself, that makes for an offensive evening.

I don't think I've ever seen a bad Teatro ZinZanni show. I mean I really don't think there could be one unless they inexplicably decided to sit on the stage and blankly stare at the audience for three hours while serving us large plates of runny eggs and sour milk. Teatro ZinZanni shows are always a good bet for an evening of bliss and their current offering, 'Welcome to Wonderland' is no exception.

My regular readers know of my distaste for performance art. Mostly this is due to the fact that I usually just don't get what they're trying to convey or find the way they are conveying it gratuitous and self-gratifying. On the other hand I love music and dance and of course good theater. And so I'm of two minds over the piece "sans" currently being offered from Danse Theatre Surreality. On the one hand there were definitely moments that made me go, "huh?" but on the other hand they did manage to convey somewhat of a message and the performances were lovely.

There are certain plays out there that remain enduring classics. Maybe they're just that good. Or maybe they still pack a punch all these years later and resonate with attitudes of today. Well the Seattle Rep is presenting one on those classics with Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and while it falls firmly into that first category of "just that good" unfortunately watching it last night I also felt how far we have and haven't come since it debuted in 1959 as many of the themes of inequality and prejudice on display are still all too prevalent today.

Who doesn't love a good ghost story? Myself, I've always been drawn to shows like 'The Twilight Zone' or 'American Horror Story'. Now how about a ghost story coupled with some fantastic music and a sumptuous meal? Well prepare yourself for a fabulous evening out perfect for these autumn months with Halloween looming. It's 'Hotel Nordo' over at Cafe Nordo and once again they've cooked up a winner with a delicious meal and a killer show (literally).

Hang with me here, Dear Readers, as there are only a few things I can tell you about Seattle Public Theater's current production of 'On Clover Road' lest I give away any surprises. In fact when I arrived to the theater the management asked me not to open the press packet they gave me to keep the secrets from me before I saw it. But I'll do my best. Let's see, I can say that the show is a one act with a run time of about 75 minutes. I can say this blistering thriller is written by the amazing Steven Dietz, author of 'Lonely Planet', 'Becky's New Car', 'Yankee Tavern' and 'Bloomsday' to name just a few. And most importantly I can say that you do not want to miss this one because if you do you'll be missing an incredibly thrilling ride with some of the finest performances I've seen all year.

Fantastic Z Theatre is closing out their season of gay comedy with the campy take on 50's sci-fi, Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliott's 'Devil Boys From Beyond'. And while this crazy romp certainly has the fun of their previous shows, at times the camp gets to be a bit much to the point of lacking focus and it's there where the play suffers.

It would be fairly difficult to not know what's going on with the political campaign these days especially all the asinine things a certain candidate keeps saying which have been fodder for every news cycle and comedian for months. So I guess it was just a matter of time before we get a bit of theater about him which we have with Theater Schmeater's world premiere play of Nick Edwards' "TRUMP The KING or POTUS DRUMPH: Another Sh**ty Adaptation of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi which May or May Not Resonate with a Contemporary American Audience". And while the show offered up a few laughs I mostly walked away with two major problems with the piece, one structural and one personal (which others may well encounter too) but we'll get to those.

I've never been a fan of performance art as it tends to lose its message amidst the blur of being odd. I mean I'll never forget the piece I saw where a woman gave birth to herself only to be followed by a group of men beating her with pillows. Having said that, Washington Ensemble Theatre's current production of Alice Birch's play "Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again." is not completely performance art but there were a few moments where the outrageousness of the performance got in the way of the message. But we'll get to that in a minute.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of mindless fun at the theater. Some of my happiest memories are sitting in a darkened theater laughing hysterically at Mormons or man eating plants or oversexed puppets. But while the fun in those instances may be base and mindless they were all still backed up by a well crafted and well put together show and that's where "The Toxic Avenger Musical", currently being offered from STAGEright, falls flat. Sure, it's goofy, in your face, over the top fun but appealing to our love of things a little bit gross and repeatedly calling someone a slut cannot replace good writing and pacing.

Even if you are familiar with the seldom produced country musical "Pump Boys and Dinettes" you're reaction to it probably isn't a wild one. In fact when I heard it was opening Village Theatre's season I thought, "Well, this will be cute" but my excitement didn't go much further beyond "cute". I'd seen the show once years ago and have had the cast album forever but it's not what you might call one of my "go to" shows. But with this new production out at Village Theatre that may all change. This is not the production from the 80's or really any production you're likely to have seen. With this level of talent and new orchestrations this could revive this old chestnut. But I'll get to that in a minute.

Let me start, Dear Readers, by saying I have never had an appreciation for boxing. I've just never understood why it's important to find out who can beat up someone else the best or, alternatively, who can take a beating the best. Having said that, the current production of Marco Ramirez's stirring play "The Royale" at ACT is not about boxing. Sure the backdrop of the story is boxing but moreover it's about the choice to take personal groundbreaking victories even in the shadow of danger to your friends and family. And that is a much more interesting fight than who can punch who the hardest.

There are some productions of Shakespeare which need all the flashy costumes and sets and transplanting to non-traditional times and places in order to make the show shine. And then there are productions like the outstanding production of "The Winter's Tale" currently being offered from Seattle Shakespeare Company where they've assembled such a talented cast and crew, innately fluent with the meaning of the show, who only require a few chairs and platforms and where the flash would just get in the way. It's those shows that remind us why we love theater when a group of actors can mesmerize us with their words.

Are there any taboo subjects for musicals anymore? I mean we've had shows about serial killers and assassins, drug addicts and prisoners, demons and super powered psychotic teens, and even oversexed puppets. So I don't know why anyone should be surprised by the new musical at ACT in conjunction with ArtsWest and Circle X Theatre Co., 'Bad Apples' which takes a look at one of our countries most disgraceful moments, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. This in your face rock musical will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea and especially not for the kids. But if you can get past all the language, sex, and horrific images then what you're left with is a killer show that looks at how easily people in power can justify appalling acts.