Jay Irwin - Page 50

Theater Schmeater is currently presenting their latest installment of their wildly popular stage adaptations of the classic TV series with "The Twilight Zone: Live!" And while I've seen some of the Zones before and even some of these episodes done previously, I don't believe I've seen them done better.

Village Theatre is currently asking the very unlikely question, "What happens when two American songwriters get kidnapped by cold war era KGB agents to write the quintessential Russian musical?" The answer is, "You get "Iron Curtain", the latest show to get a main stage production out of the Village Originals Festival, which amounts to two and a half hours of absolute bliss!"

Seattle's STAGEright Theatre is currently presenting the peculiar morality play, "The Firebugs" at Odd Duck Studio on Capitol Hill. A gritty little play about trying to outwit evil, the show is a quirky and fun game of cat and mouse that leaves you no wiser but wary.

ArtsWest continues their streak of Seattle Premieres with "Distracted" by Lisa Loomer. Unfortunately as topical and fresh as the subject matter is, the production itself seemed to take the title, "Distracted" and use it as a watchword for the tone of the show.

The La Jolla Playhouse is presenting a world premiere musical based on the 2006 Academy Award winning film "Little Miss Sunshine". And while the show had its shining moments and a cast that matched the subtlety and charm of the original sleeper hit, on the whole it needs a bit of a jump start if it's going to make it down the road to Broadway.

Village Theatre breaks out its magnifying glass with a change of pace from the usual musical fare with the Tony award winning "Sleuth" by Anthony Shaffer. And what can I tell you about this production? Well, not a lot so as not to give it away. But I can say that it's a viciously fun game from beginning to end.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting the touring production of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning musical "Next To Normal" which began part of its life in a workshop locally at Village Theatre. This odd musical theater show about dealing with mental illness proves that the art form is alive and well and need not be the cookie cutter formula.

Seattle Shakespeare Company is currently presenting their first ever foray into musical theater with "The Threepenny Opera". A show that seasoned musical theater companies would have difficulty with; this typically Shakespearean company in their 20th year handles it with vision, humor and heart.

ACT in conjunction with the 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting the Northwest Premiere of "Vanities: A New Musical". Featuring three gorgeous and talented Seattle women, I found it difficult to find anything more to make this show stand out.

Seattle Musical Theatre is presenting the hilarious send up of old style musical theater with "The Drowsy Chaperone". And while the show was enjoyable and one of the better things I've seen with SMT, it left me a little wanting.

Every season there are those few shows that absolutely blow you away, shows that you think about for days, weeks, even months afterward and that you annoy your friends with even longer by saying things like "You mean you didn't see that?!" Last season for me it was "Equivocation" and "An Iliad" at the Rep and "Hamlet" at Seattle Shakes. So far this season the only one to come close to that was OCT's "The Cut". That is until now. That is until "The Brothers Size" came to the Seattle Rep last night and showed me a stunning and moving portrait of the depths of brotherly love that left me reeling from its theatrical blow.

Big hair and dreams have come to the Paramount. No, it's not "Hairspray" or even "Hair" (since we just had that one). No, fast forward about 20 years from that one and you have the 80's rock musical "Rock of Ages". And while no one could accuse the show of being deep or important, it's certainly loud, goofy and fun!

Showtunes Theatre Company presents their latest tribute to what makes musical theater great with "The Melody Lingers On: The Songs of Irving Berlin". Celebrating the works of one of America's greatest composers, the cast certainly knows how to take some wonderful songs and bring out the fun!

What happens when you take an already wonderful show and, due to popular demand, remount it in a larger venue? Well, sometimes the results can be disastrous. But Balagan Theatre's remount of their production of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog", which sold out back in August, manages to take what worked before, improve upon it, and then add in the resources of ACT to create a show to rival the first. If the Six Million Dollar Man taught us anything it's that, "We have the technology. We can make him bigger, stronger, "and even more Horrible!

Theater Schmeater kicks off their 2011 season with the West Coast Premiere of "Crooked" by Catherine Trieschmann, a show filled with teen angst, sexual awakenings, revealed secrets and invisible stigmata. With some powerhouse performances the show is a fresh look at the trials of the American teenager, I only wish it had a more definite ending.

ArtsWest is presenting the Seattle premiere of fresh new playwright Lauren Gunderson's, "Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight". Initially having a little trouble finding its way, this Stoppard-esque exploration of life and love ultimately turns in an evening of humor and heartbreak with a powerhouse ending.

Village Theatre breaks out its magnifying glass with a change of pace from the usual musical fare with the Tony award winning "Sleuth" by Anthony Shaffer. And what can I tell you about this production? Well, not a lot so as not to give it away. But I can say that it's a viciously fun game from beginning to end.

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Laura Schellhardt's haunting fairy tale, "The K of D, an urban legend". Effortlessly filled with melancholy and wonder, this one woman show is all at once creepy, funny, poignant and moving.

The votes are in, the ballots tallied and the people have spoken. Yes, the 2010 BroadwayWorld Seattle Theater awards results are in and my oh my was it a nail biter. There was some fierce competition out there but the voters have spoken. But since the results were so close, we're going to put in not only the winners but also the 1st and 2nd runners up as well. And I'm also going to throw in my own Critic's Choice for the hell of it. So without further ado, the envelopes please...

Open Circle Theater continues their track record of bringing slightly off theater to the Seattle area with the world premiere of "The Cut" by local playwright Dustin Engstrom. Even though the show's subject matter, a very specific sexual fetish, might make some people shy away, the show takes this out there subject and infuses it and its characters with human frailty and tons of heart.