Kelly Rogers Flynt - Page 4

After nineteen long months, The Paramount Theater welcomed the cast and crew of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to its stage, and the Seattle audience welcomed them into their hearts. The mood was heightened and the air electric as patrons entered the theater after showing their vaccination documentation. Although masked, the smiles sparkled in the eyes as the crowd gathered in anticipation of sharing a journey of storytelling and music. From the first note to the last, the audience was held in rapt attention as we all remembered the unmatched joy of watching live theater.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Taproot Theatre will give all the feels and more. It is a heartfelt story of enduring friendships: of living, loving, and letting go. With little fuss or fluff, the show owes its appeal to the witty dialogue delivered with zest. Unafraid to feel the hurt of loss, the show reminds us that we are never just one thing, but can feel many complex emotions all at the same time.

THE REVOLUTIONISTS at ArtsWest is a revolutionary dream fugue of an implausible meeting of four great women during the French Revolution. They have individual battles and seek to better the world, yet find a way to support each other. Their imagined sisterhood is a fresh take on could happen if people work together and move beyond the stereotypes and labels that box us in. The show's tragi-comedy elicits both a chuckle and a sigh.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Paramount Theatre brings heart and humor in a winning combination. With soaring music, reinvented choreography, and its timeless story, FIDDLER provides the elements we have always loved with a freshness that makes us love it more. Bartlett Sher's production has cemented the show in the hearts of a new generation ensuring that people's affection for it will continue for many years to come.

THE HARD NUT at the Paramount Theatre is a mix of comedy and dancing spectacle. The Mark Morris Dance Company presents their version of the Nutcracker and the Mouseking with the aim to make classical ballet accessible to the masses.

A VERY DIE HARD CHRISTMAS at Seattle Public Theatre will have you dying from laughter. With gags, antics, witty remarks, and tomfoolery, the cast manages to tell a fairly accurate story. While the gunfire and explosions may be downgraded to squirt guns and Nerf guns, there is nothing downgraded about the humor and entertainment. With barely a pause for a rollerblading Zamboni clean up, the show heats up the holidays in perfect parody style.

Taproot Theatre breathes some fresh air into the holiday season with their production of THE BISHOP'S WIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY. While other theater leans on the old standards, Taproot is rolling the dice and presents a new adaptation of a lesser-known work. Their gamble is already paying off with smiles, cheer, and holiday spirit. THE BISHOP'S WIFE is a perfect blend of nostalgia and freshness.

Seattle Shakespeare Theater gives THE TEMPEST a new edge and makes it sharper than ever. Filled with intrigue, love, revenge, plots, ploys, and magic, this show has something for everyone. With a fresh look and clever casting, Seattle Shakespeare makes this show its own.

SUNSET BABY at Arts West presents a slice of life with all its complexities, troubles, and truths. Troubled pasts, hard choices, and conflicting emotions rule the day in this show. No one has it easy, and no one escapes unscarred. Everyone has baggage, but must own their choices. They must all decide if they can find the courage to do better, to be better, or let their past rule their future.

NECESSARY SACRIFICES at Taproot Theater is both necessary and a gift to audiences. In a time of great division, this show reaches deep into the psyche of our nation and reminds us how even those with great differences can work together. With compelling dialogue, witty and heartfelt performances, and the absence of distractions, NECESSARY SACRIFCIES wastes no time in showing us what it means to be guided by the better angels of our nature.

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is packed to bursting with stories, journeys, memories, and realizations. The show occurs in three different time periods and slowly reveals how two families were shaped by historical events. The show explores how family histories both known and unknown can shape our own self-perceptions.

PEELING by Kaite O'Reilly is a deep look into the lives of disabled actors and the issues they face both on and off stage. The three-actor show is a play within the play as we see the actors both in their staged performances and in their interactions between scenes. The show begins with one actor missing the opening cue for places because she is deaf and no thought was given as to how the stage manager would communicate with her. From that initial slam of reality, PEELING pulls no punches as the actors tackle a manifold of issues facing the disabled community.

KIM'S CONVENIENCE at Taproot Theatre is full of laughs and heart. A convenience store is often the hot spot of a community, where you can find a little of whatever you need. For the Kim family, the convenience store is much more than that. It is their hope, their conduit to a brighter future. Its constant need of attention is also an albatross and point of contention. When an unsuspecting police officer responds to a 911 call from the store, he finds more than a variety of snacks. KIM's CONVENIENCE is a witty look at everyday life with surprising insight into human nature.

AS YOU LIKE IT by Seattle Shakespeare Company is a grab bag of experiences. It has moments of delight mixed with quite a few confusing bits. The show takes a while to get going, but then the comedy pulls it along with fresh energy. At times it seemed as if some of the characters were in a different show altogether, projecting a very different tone and vibe. The visuals were both appealing in sets and confusing in costumes. The acting carried the day, but in the end the show left your scratching your head.

WE WILL NOT BE SILENT at Taproot Theatre is a glimpse into the heart of courage. The story of Sophie Scholl and her resistance to the Nazi regime is one of inspiration and fortitude. Without bells and whistles or fanfare, this show focuses on the heart of the matter. When the laws of the land conflict with what you believe to be right, how will you respond? When the stakes are high, how much are you willing to dare?

JOHN at ArtsWest is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum, nestled in a puzzle. The show is peppered with interesting bits of information, side stories, tangents, and seemingly pertinent details. However most of these bits only serve to fully realize the characters rather than apply to the plot. You can easily find yourself chasing meanings in references that are never explained or even mentioned again. The amount of detail and richness of backstory is amazing. The amount of unanswered questions is frustrating. JOHN is a show rich with characters and short on plot.

CAUGHT presented by Intiman Theatre will catch you off guard and make swiss cheese of all your theories of what is art and what is theater. Christopher Chen's play combines visual art and theater into a playground of ideas. What is truth, your perception, and intention are all challenged with thought-provoking dialogue and action. Just when you think you have grasped the essence of the piece, it shifts direction and reveals a twist, another level, and leaves you once again wondering what is real.

Seattle Children's Theatre brings another classic book to life in their production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The book by Kate DiCamillo tells the story of a china rabbit that is given as a gift to a young girl, Abilene, by her grandmother. The girl adores the rabbit and names him Edward. Edward, however, is only interested in himself and his own thoughts and fails to appreciate or connect with those around him. The grandmother who seems to sense Edward's aloofness, warns that she is disappointed in him, and that loving others is the whole point of existence. Through a series of events, Edward is separated from Abilene and spends years moving in and out of the possession of various people. Along the way he learns what it means to be loved and how to love others. Through chance or fate or maybe miracles, Edward is given the chance to love those who first loved him.

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at Taproot Theater is what Aunt Abby would call a 'fine howdy doo.' This production proves why Joseph Kesselring's play is considered a classic. The play contains not only great humor but also smarts. The talented cast has a great rapport and will take you on an adventurous ride full of surprises.

With all the focus dedicated to the language and story, Seattle Shakespeare breaths new life into this old classic while maintaining all its traditions. While current trends rely on new interpretations, new locations, different time periods, this production stays true to the Bard and delivers the goods. ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL is a bittersweet tale of love, war, and relationships. The show questions why we love who we love and who is deserving of love, romantic and familial.