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Jay Irwin - Page 29

Jay Irwin

         Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Jay has been a theater geek for years.  He attends as many shows as he can around the country and loves taking in new exciting works.  

Three-letter rating system on each review is as follows.  They range from best to worst as WOW (A can’t miss), YAY (Too damn good), MEH+ (Good, with some great things going for it), MEH (Just OK), NAH (You can miss this one) and WTF (I think you can figure out my complex code there).

Jay is also an actor in the local Seattle scene.  Follow me on Twitter @SeattleBdwyGeek or on Threads @jdirwin14 or BlueSky Social at @seattlebdwygeek.bsky.social.  You can also check me out in my web series "The Gamers: The Shadow Menace" available on Amazon Prime.




LEARN MORE ABOUT Jay Irwin

First Show:

First big show I saw here in Seattle was either 42nd Street or Hello Dolly with Carol Channing. Not sure which one was first. First Broadway show on Broadway was the original cast of Spamalot. Great way to start off my Broadway experiences especially since I hung by theb stage door (back when we could do that) and meet the entire cast.

Favorite Show:

Little Shop of Horrors

Favorite Stories:



BWW Review: Impactful SOUND from Azeotrope Has Potential but Lacks Resolution
BWW Review: Impactful SOUND from Azeotrope Has Potential but Lacks Resolution
September 20, 2015

As hearing people we may think that the advancement and availability of cochlear implants would be welcomed with open arms by the deaf community. But what Don Nguyen's play "Sound", getting its world premiere production from Azeotrope at ACT, points out to us, the cultural effects of suddenly being able to hear can be far greater than the medical ones. But while the plight of those in the story was impactful I didn't feel the play itself offered much in the way of a resolution and thereby much of a message.

BWW Review: ACT's BLOOMSDAY is Filled with Sweet Charm
BWW Review: ACT's BLOOMSDAY is Filled with Sweet Charm
September 18, 2015

In our jaded and cynical world sometimes our inner cup of hope and romance can get a little low and we can use something to refill it. Well never fear romance seekers as ACT's World Premiere production of Steven Dietz's "Bloomsday" is here. This sweet little charmer is bound to fill up the romance cup of even the most jaded among us, at least a little bit.

BWW Review: Risky and Innovative AMERICAN IDIOT at ArtsWest Pays Off
BWW Review: Risky and Innovative AMERICAN IDIOT at ArtsWest Pays Off
September 14, 2015

ArtsWest has taken on a huge risk by putting up the Green Day musical 'American Idiot' on their intimate stage. Not only by trying to fit this large spectacle in their space but also literally reconfiguring their floor plan and utilizing multiple areas within their theater to create an immersive experience in addition to the regular observational one. With so much going on, a cast of 31 and a full band this could have been a full on train wreck. But director Eric Ankrim and his crew have taken this super risky venture and spun it into pure gold.

BWW Review: SMT's High Energy JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Lacks Depth
BWW Review: SMT's High Energy JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Lacks Depth
September 14, 2015

Let me start out by saying I do not like "Jesus Christ Superstar". I think it is a completely overrated show. Repeating the same lyric 50 times does not make a song! So it's more than an annoyance that every few years someone feels the need to resurrect it (pun intended). I mean in the past eight years I've seen it four times. In fact the current production at Seattle Musical Theatre is the third production in four years where they've chosen to set it in a post-apocalyptic world. I can only attribute its constant remounting to religious fervor and a mass familiarity with the source story. So I'm going to try and keep my disdain for the piece in check and focus on the performances. Unfortunately, as good as the performers were vocally, there was a severe lack of depth in these iconic characters plus a bad sound system which didn't aid the performers in getting me through the afternoon.

BWW Review: Intiman's THE CHILDREN'S HOUR Builds Beautifully
BWW Review: Intiman's THE CHILDREN'S HOUR Builds Beautifully
September 13, 2015

The tragic circumstances and attitudes of Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" may still have some resonance in today's more accepting world but the power and stakes of the piece when set in the unforgiving 1930's feels so much greater than the more progressive 1980's as the current production from The Intiman Theatre Festival updates it to. But even with the change in era and place the piece still hits hard especially in the more than capable hands of director Sheila Daniels.

BWW Review: Sweet Fairytale from New Alchemists' EATEN VOICES
BWW Review: Sweet Fairytale from New Alchemists' EATEN VOICES
August 31, 2015

Sometimes we forget with all the flashy shows out there what can be done with a minimal bit of stage wizardry and a whole lot of talent. But then a new company comes along just starting out and they remind us. The New Alchemists may be brand new and small but they know how to tell a good little story with their first production, "Eaten Voices".

BWW Review: Chandelier's SPRING AWAKENING Lacks Depth and Pitch
BWW Review: Chandelier's SPRING AWAKENING Lacks Depth and Pitch
August 30, 2015

If you're a company thinking of doing the rock musical of 'Spring Awakening' you need to be ready for it, not only as it's such a difficult show but since it was just done in the area a few years ago and to such acclaim. And while I applaud fledgling company Chandelier Production's courage in taking on such a tough show not to mention their model of using their proceeds to support local LGBTQ charities such as Peace from the Streets by Kids from the Streets, their current production shows that they are not mature enough of a company to handle this demanding show as there were so many issues vocally, theatrically and technically.

BWW Review: INDIAN INK from STC and Pratidhwani Blends History and Heart
BWW Review: INDIAN INK from STC and Pratidhwani Blends History and Heart
August 24, 2015

When you go to see a Tom Stoppard play such as "Indian Ink", currently playing at Center Theatre from Sound Theatre Company and Pratidhwani, you can expect to be immersed in whatever subject Stoppard has chosen, whether that be literature, history, math, music or landscape architecture, along with a fascinating interpersonal story with the characters. And while I usually appreciate the interpersonal stories of his plays, his chosen subject of interest is usually lost on me (mostly due to the feeling that you need to take a Masters class in whatever the subject is before you see the play to totally get it). Stoppard's "Indian Ink" is no exception although the love story at its heart certainly outweighed any gaps of historical knowledge I felt.

BWW Review: MATILDA at the 5th Ave is Anything but R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N-G
BWW Review: MATILDA at the 5th Ave is Anything but R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N-G
August 23, 2015

I'm going to confess that I am in love with 'Matilda, The Musical'. I have been ever since I first heard the cast album. What I feared would be another bland attempt at putting a beloved children's classic on stage turned out to be a treasure trove of clever lyrics and great storytelling. And so with my love and familiarity of the show I was able to overlook some of the technical issues I saw with the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre for my own personal enjoyment of the evening. But looking back on the evening I cannot deny that those issues were there, not only technical but who this show is intended for. But we'll get to all that in a minute.

BWW Review: Cliché Identity Crisis from JOHN BAXTER IS A SWITCH HITTER at Intiman
BWW Review: Cliché Identity Crisis from JOHN BAXTER IS A SWITCH HITTER at Intiman
August 21, 2015

If you're going to tell a story, especially one based on a real event, you need to decide who the story is about, what you are trying to tell and why are you trying to tell it. And those are just a few of the downfalls with the new play from Ana Brown and Andrew Russell "John Baxter is a Switch Hitter" currently from Intiman Theatre.

BWW Review: Paramount's PIPPIN Shines with a Dark Sexy Circus
BWW Review: Paramount's PIPPIN Shines with a Dark Sexy Circus
August 17, 2015

Stephen Schwartz's "Pippin" is one of those under appreciated musicals. It definitely has its problems but if done well it can deliver the goods. Well, the current tour of the recent Broadway run certainly delivers those goods. Not only does it retain the dark edginess of the story but it's also infused with thrilling circus routines that make it a crowd pleaser on many levels.

BWW Review: Steampunk Fantasy Fun Returns in Pork Filled's THE TUMBLEWEED ZEPHYR
BWW Review: Steampunk Fantasy Fun Returns in Pork Filled's THE TUMBLEWEED ZEPHYR
August 17, 2015

Two years ago, if you were lucky enough to catch it, we were introduced to the Wild West, steampunk world of 'The Clockwork Professor', a delightful melodrama from the mind of Maggie Lee. Well the denizens of that world continued to have adventures in Lee's mind and now we can all climb on board to 'The Tumbleweed Zephyr' for another thrilling escapade.

BWW Reviews: Existential SIDEWINDERS from Fantastic Z Feels Overblown
BWW Reviews: Existential SIDEWINDERS from Fantastic Z Feels Overblown
July 27, 2015

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you have a story to tell then tell it. Existentialism is fine but don't pack in a bunch of superfluous seemingly non sequitur dialog and lose your meaning as a result. Such is the problem with Fantastic Z's current production of "Sidewinders" over at Richard Hugo House. They may have wanted to discuss gender issues but the story got lost.

BWW Reviews: Tragic HOLD THESE TRUTHS at ACT Fails to Engage
BWW Reviews: Tragic HOLD THESE TRUTHS at ACT Fails to Engage
July 27, 2015

The trouble with one man shows is that it's difficult to make them engaging no matter the subject. Such is the pitfall that Jeanne Sakata's "Hold These Truths", currently playing at ACT Theatre, falls into. This may be an incredibly horrifying thing that happened to this man but unless you have an engaging way to tell it you might as well be trapped with someone at a party as they recount (in detail) their life story. And while that conversation might be ok for a little while, after 90 minutes it becomes wearing.

BWW Reviews: Lyrically Haunting AND JESUS MOONWALKS THE MISSISSIPPI From STC
BWW Reviews: Lyrically Haunting AND JESUS MOONWALKS THE MISSISSIPPI From STC
July 20, 2015

Sound Theatre Company has never shied away from difficult plays and now in conjunction with Brownbox Theatre they've taken on Marcus Gardley's moving civil war fable "… And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi". To be blunt, this play is not going to be for everyone with its deeply poetic nature and complex imagery. And while certain elements of the piece I found confusing or missing the mark; I was able to come away from it with an admiration of its lyric beauty and gripping story.

BWW Reviews: Overly Wholesome and Character Free GREASE at 5th Avenue
BWW Reviews: Overly Wholesome and Character Free GREASE at 5th Avenue
July 20, 2015

Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's musical "Grease" is so much more than just a collection of doo wop numbers. It's a group of teens finding their own identities at a time when teens were finding identities much different from those of their parents. Or at least it should be. Unfortunately the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre has been scrubbed clean and is so devoid of any individual or realistic characters that any emotion or meaning that might have been elicited from the story is now gone. But they sing pretty.

BWW Reviews: ORPHEUS DESCENDING Seethes With Raw Power, Love and Lust
BWW Reviews: ORPHEUS DESCENDING Seethes With Raw Power, Love and Lust
July 13, 2015

When you see as many shows as I do as a theater reviewer there are shows that, on the surface, make you concerned as to what you're about to see. Such a show was "Orpheus Descending" developed and performed by the Williams Project at 12th Avenue Arts as part of the Intiman Theatre Festival. I mean we're talking about a 3 hour Tennessee Williams play put on by a brand new to Seattle theatre company. But it's moments like this that make being a theater reviewer worth all the time spent when that trepidation turns into absolute awe-inspired elation at seeing a beautifully simple, well thought out and brilliantly portrayed production such as this that ranks up there with one of the best things I've seen all year.

BWW Reviews: Superheroes Save Our Fun and Our Beer in Teatro ZinZanni's RETURN OF CHAOS
BWW Reviews: Superheroes Save Our Fun and Our Beer in Teatro ZinZanni's RETURN OF CHAOS
July 13, 2015

NEWS FLASH: The evil Hoard of Four under the command of the Eric the Evil Overlord is out to steal the special beer that has crash landed from outer space. Who can the Mayor call in to rescue us all? The Jet City Superheroes of course! Yes Teatro ZinZanni has dusted off their spandex and capes to thrill us with a superhero adventure with “The Return of Chaos” and the thrills, humor and fun must have been hit with some gamma radiation because it's all at the level of The Hulk (but with better grammar).

BWW Reviews: Theatre22's WIZZER PIZZER Feels Poignant but Has No Point
BWW Reviews: Theatre22's WIZZER PIZZER Feels Poignant but Has No Point
July 13, 2015

Dreams are there for our brains to work things out when we can't and the more incapacitated we are the weirder those dreams become. I mean Dorothy dreamt about flying monkeys. Well in "Wizzer Pizzer: Getting Over the Rainbow", currently from Theatre22 as part of their Pride Series, the dream is just the latest in an attempt to tell someone else's message utilizing a trip to Oz. And while I loathe someone working out their therapy on stage, Amy Wheeler's play comes across as more what she felt would have been the resulting mindset from therapy without actually going through it and that's even worse as it's cliche joke after cliche joke ultimately amounting to no real resolution or message.

BWW Reviews: WICKED at Paramount a Bit Flat but Still Wicked
BWW Reviews: WICKED at Paramount a Bit Flat but Still Wicked
July 10, 2015

I don't think many theater nerds need to argue the virtues of Stephen Schwartz's hit show "Wicked" currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. It's one of those shows that's widely and verbally loved by aficionados and general theatergoers alike. So when the tour comes through town it's bound to have the rich and powerful voices needed to blast those wonderful songs into the rafters. And this tour is no exception. But while this tour also boasts two wonderful leads who also manage some brilliant and layered storytelling in their characters, some of the supporting players felt lacking and flat in that aspect making this go around with the show not as awe-inspiring as past viewings.



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