Jay Irwin - Page 38

Dear Readers, have you lost that innocence and exuberance of youth? Are you no longer fascinated by the wonder of flying boys, singing mermaids and maniacal pirates? Well then I have the cure for you. If you're a kid at heart or just a kid then you need to get out and catch the current touring production of 'Peter and the Starcatcher' at the Moore Theatre brought to you by Seattle Theatre Group. Not only will it revitalize your sense of childlike wonder but it's also one of the best all around pieces of theatrical genius you could ask for.

OK, so I've seen it several times. I mean there are the movies plus countless productions about town. It's done a lot as it's one of Shakespeare's more accessible plays with its quick wit and very clear heroes and villains (one hero is even called Hero). But that doesn't mean I don't still love it. I always tend to find something new and appealing in most productions of what has become my favorite of his canon. And the current production of 'Much Ado About Nothing' from Seattle Shakespeare Company is no exception as they have tapped into much of the comedy of the piece as well as infused it with some wonderful jazz renditions of the Shakespearean songs from the piece.

No, it's not "Sybil", just one 13 year old girl with a lot to say about the crazy people in her life. That's the central premise for the World Premiere of Elizabeth Heffron's "Bo-Nita" currently playing at the Seattle Rep. And while the ending left me wanting a little, what comes before is a fascinating look at some very interesting characters all coming out of the mouth of one very gifted actress.

Newborn theatre company Theatre22 has stumbled into the light of the world with its inaugural production of Lanford Wilson's post Vietnam War drama, "Fifth of July". And while the production and play itself took awhile to find its rhythm, the level of professionalism of the production launches this fledgling theater company off to an outstanding start.

Do ya hear that playin'? Do ya know what's playin'? Why it's one of the best interpretations of a classic musical I've seen. The current touring production of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", on stage now at the 5th Avenue Theatre, has three major things going for it; a director who understands the style and point of the show, a cast working their butts off while making it all look effortless and fun, and Rachel York. And all that amounts to perma-grin for two hours, leaving the theater with the uncontrollable urge to hum the tunes and a killer evening.

Any true Broadway Geek knows of the infamous flop that is "Carrie: The Musical". Having only run for 16 previews and 5 actual performances back in 1988, some believed it to be one of the worst shows around while others still proclaimed its merits and longed for its return. So when the show was retooled by authors Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford and Lawrence D. Cohen and an Off-Broadway run was announced for 2012, the news was met with excitement and skepticism. The modest run was enough to remove some of the stigma of the show and made the show ripe for regional productions to put their stamp on it. And this leads us to 2013 as powerhouse company Balagan Theatre mounts their production with none other than Tony Award Winner Alice Ripley in the role of Carrie's Mother, Margaret White. And while the show itself is now about half good, the Balagan Production manages enough stellar moments to make the show into something special but they still have a ways to go to achieve greatness.

Sir Alan Ayckbourn certainly knows how to bring rich and complex characters to life and then set them spinning to hilarious ends and his current production of "Sugar Daddies", making it's American Premiere at ACT, is no exception. And while it could use some trimming, he gives us a sobering yet funny look at how nothing comes without a price.

There are some classics you just don't mess with. "Casablanca", "Lawrence of Arabia" and yes, "The Wizard of Oz". OK, so there have been a number of sequels or prequels and complete rewrites (such as "The Wiz", which I love) but up to now no one has felt they could make the original better. That is until the ego that is Andrew Lloyd Webber came along and said, "Sure it's good but it needs my special flair." Well Sir Andrew, keep your special flair to yourself as what you have done is to jam in utterly forgettable new songs and horrifying jokes into the show and created a bastardized version of a classic.

New Century Theatre Company's track record for putting on stunning shows remains brilliantly intact as they present another absolute winner with Enda Walsh's "The Walworth Farce". It's actually getting a little scary how they keep consistently putting up the goods show after show. It's almost like they've discovered some theatrical genie or wishing stone that magically turns their shows into gold. Or it could be that they just have the cream of the crop of Seattle theatrical talent on their team who not only know how to pick the slightly obscure shows but also how to produce and perform them. And "The Walworth Farce" is no exception as this four member cast goes from the raucously funny to the sublimely terrifying at the drop of a hat and takes you on a ride you won't soon forget.

If you're going to have a play espousing rhetoric on politics and the state of our Government let it have something new (or at least clever) to say, otherwise it's the same old stuff we've heard droning on for years. Well as edgy and topical as Lauren Gunderson's play "The Taming", currently playing at ArtsWest, thinks it is, what it amounts to is stereotypes pontificating through a story with so many holes in it that you'd think it had gone hunting with Dick Cheney.

(Sputter, gasp wheeze) There, I can breathe again. So you know when you go to a show and there's that one actor on stage who is so good, so funny, that the show and the other actors just kind of revolve around them like some theatrical sun warming all in its orbit? OK, now imagine an entire stage filled with that actor and you'll have the Seattle Rep's current production of "The Servant of Two Masters" which kicks off their 51st season not with a bang but with a hearty belly laugh that lasts for two and a half hours.

Imagine you go to see a comedienne. She talks about sex and drugs and racial issues and being a lesbian and any number of taboo subjects. Pretty fun night, right? Now imagine she's in her 50's, 60's or even 70's. Even more fun. Now imagine it's the 1970's or even earlier. And there we have the career of one of the funniest and most groundbreaking African American women of the last century, Jackie "Moms" Mabley. And in a tribute to this pioneer, writer Dan Owens and director Jacqueline Moscou and the folks at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute have come up with the world premiere of "Hello Darlin's: Mom's got something to tell you!" And while there may have been a few rough moments in the evening, it amounts to a hilarious and touching look back at a trailblazer of comedy whose career spanned over 50 years and who needs to be remembered.

OK, so we're all sick of the trend of movies turned into musicals but, Dear Readers, just as movies have to keep remaking themselves, Broadway will keep culling from film vaults for new musicals. Let's face it, it ain't going anywhere. But if they're going to do it, such as with the current production of 'Secondhand Lions' being tried out on the stages of the 5th Avenue Theatre, let's make sure it can be done on a stage and still make sense. Yes, the fanciful stories and budding and heartfelt relationship between the two old curmudgeons and their young nephew are still there and done quite well in moments. But the attempt to jam that title down our throats without even the slightest hint of the actual lion storyline feels a bit insulting to anyone who saw the film. But we'll get to that in a minute.

We've all had those fleeting thoughts in our heads every now and again of doing something completely outrageous like blowing something up or offing someone just because we don't like their face. We have right? No? Just me? Uh oh. Well anyway, MAP Theatre's latest offering of Carter W. Lewis' "Soft Click of a Switch" explores what happens when two loners give in to those impulses. The result is a darkly comic and fascinating look inside the minds of volatile yet sympathetic characters.

Sometimes goofy is all you really need. Sure, it's nice to have a deeply heartfelt and affecting show but sometimes you just want candy. Well look no further as Village has taken the candy coated no brainer that is "Xanadu" and amped the joy and humor up to 11. And while yes, the performances are all top notch, the real joy of the production comes from the obvious fun the cast is having with the material (and I don't just mean those skimpy togas).

I must be honest here; Balagan Theatre putting on a production of Les Mis already has two hurdles to overcome before I even set foot in the door. First that it's Les Mis. It's a monumental undertaking and one of my favorite shows and I'm incredibly picky about it. And two, it's Balagan and with their recent track record I expect great things. So before I even enter the theater I already have some impossibly high standards for the production. And while there were definitely some superb moments on that stage (many in fact) there were also some glaring drawbacks that kept the show from meeting or even exceeding those standards.

We don't live in Grover's Corners anymore and a lot has changed in the century since that time. So it stands to reason that a slice of life play like 'Middletown', currently playing at ACT would be a darker and grittier ride than its 'Our Town' predecessor. And while at times it seems like just a series of platitudes on how to live your life, what makes this production what it is are the stirring and heartfelt performances from the ensemble cast.

There's an old show business adage that if you give the audience a strong ending, they'll forgive most anything that came before. And it's a good thing that still holds true for "Sister Act" currently playing at the Paramount Theatre as the top of the show was filled with painfully forced dialog and exposition but the show managed to break that habit (pun intended) and end on a much stronger note. Not brilliant but stronger.

Balagan Theatre continues their effort to get new musicals a place to be heard with their New Works Summer Series and their offering of the new musical “Island Song”, a show exploring the lives of the young and ambitious in a city that can at the same time foster and crush such ambition.

It's a really good thing the air conditioning is working in the Seattle Center Armory because something has to cool the audience down after Sound Theatre Company's current production of "The Wild Party". Not only is it a sultry good time but the fear, love, lust, anger and danger coming off the cast is palpable.