Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 18

BWW Review: Theatre22's HAPPIEST SONG PLAYS LAST: Punchy, but Discordant
by Amelia Reynolds - April 04, 2018

'The Happiest Song Plays Last' puts two dissonant narratives side by side. Former marine Elliot (Joshua Chessin-Yudin) puts his wartime experience to practical use for motion pictures, acting as an on-set wartime expert for a docu-drama shot in Jordan. Moments in the script trigger his PTSD, but he...

BWW Review: SCT's NAKED MOLE RAT GETS DRESSED and Gets Rockin'
by Jay Irwin - March 31, 2018

Don't let the fact that the title has the word "naked" in it or that the same word is repeated several times in the opening number fool you. This is, indeed, a children's show. Yes, you are still at Seattle Children's Theatre and it's safe to bring the kids in as we're only talking about cute litt...

BWW Review: Seattle Public's IRONBOUND Delivers Raw Power
by Jay Irwin - March 30, 2018

Seattle Public Theater tends towards the darker, edgier plays. That's not to say they're adverse to a comedy now and then as is evident with their next offering, 'Hand to God' which I saw on Broadway and laughed my butt off all the way through but still a very dark comedy. But I digress. Typicall...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep's World Premiere of THE GREAT LEAP Shoots and Scores
by Jay Irwin - March 29, 2018

If you're familiar with Lauren Yee, possibly from her previous premiere here in Seattle of 'The King of the Yees' last year, you know of her gift for storytelling and crisp dialog. So, when another Yee World Premiere, 'The Great Leap', was announced at the Seattle Rep I was excited. But, oh no! T...

BWW Review: Showtunes' BOYS FROM SYRACUSE Confused About Twins but Not About Fun
by Jay Irwin - March 25, 2018

I was speaking with a friend the other day about the current show from Showtunes Theatre Company, "The Boys from Syracuse". He's a somewhat new, fledgling musical theater geek and I said, that it was filled with great Rodgers and Hart songs many of which are standards now. I went through a few and...

BWW Review: Problematic MERCHANT OF VENICE from Seattle Shakes
by Jay Irwin - March 24, 2018

Seattle Shakespeare Company has never been one to shy away from a challenge and with their current production of "The Merchant of Venice" they certainly seem to have a challenge on their hands. As I see it they have one challenge they can, and hopefully will overcome as the production continues, th...

BWW Review: ACT and 5th Ave's RIDE THE CYCLONE - A Haunting Thrill Ride You Must Take
by Jay Irwin - March 23, 2018

ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre's current joint production, 'Ride the Cyclone', now playing at ACT, is one of those quirky little musicals that on the surface should not work. I didn't really know what to expect going in but based on what it is, it's problematic at best. Fortunately for us the bril...

BWW Review: Onward Ho's BIG ROCK - As Solid as Its Title
by Jay Irwin - March 17, 2018

Ah, the family drama. I've seen too many to count. Parent and child don't see eye to eye even though they're more similar than they realize. Rift comes from neglect/abuse/death of other parent/etc. Catalyst opens wounds further to let secrets out and begin healing. Some work and some are merely...

BWW Review: Village's STRING Plucks Some Good Notes but Feels Incomplete
by Jay Irwin - March 16, 2018

I'm fortunate enough to have been to a few of the Village Originals Festival of New Musicals where they present concert stagings of new shows in workshop. I've seen shows that I've felt needed to polish a bit but then get that bigger, mainstage production and I've seen shows that I've felt should h...

BWW Review: THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF NOW from Thalia's Umbrella a Sweet Twist on the RomCom
by Jay Irwin - March 12, 2018

Many have wished they could alter the personality of their significant others in some way but it's usually something small. Don't eat in bed. Stop telling corny jokes. Don't spend all our money on geeky toys. But what if your spouse suddenly had a whole new personality … and you liked it better?...

BWW Review: ArtsWest's HIR Takes Gender/Family Issues to an Absurd Level, and That's Funny?
by Jay Irwin - March 05, 2018

There seems to be a spate of plays getting a lot of critical acclaim these days that take on societal changes and amp them up to an extreme and absurd level. For example, the recent "Straight White Men" that looked at white male privilege. And now we have the gender conformity examining "Hir" by T...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep's HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN Spotlights an American Icon
by Jay Irwin - March 01, 2018

Dear Readers, if you're anything like me you grew up with a love for old standards. Those songs from a bygone era that used to dominate the radio waves, many of which came from musicals of the day. And if you love those old standards then you know and love the name Irving Berlin as a hefty number ...

BWW Review: Sound Theatre's YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU a Roller Coaster of Commitment
by Jay Irwin - February 25, 2018

Even before Sound Theatre Company's current production of "You Can't Take It With You" began, it showed promise with a stunning, well-appointed set by Robin Macartney. Then the effervescent Shermona Mitchell walked on stage to begin the show with tons of energy, conviction and intent to her charact...

BWW Review: Can Can's ROMEO + JULIET Sizzles
by Jay Irwin - February 24, 2018

It may be cold outside but it is so very hot inside the Can Can with their dazzling production of "Romeo + Juliet". But this is not your typical R+J with its rockin' vocals, thumpin' beat, and just the highlights of a storyline. Oh, and did I mention the cast seems to have trouble keeping their cl...

BWW Review: Camp, Catharsis and Calisthenics with Woody Shticks' MANIAC at 18th & Union
by Amelia Reynolds - February 19, 2018

There are not a lot of people that I would encourage folks pay to watch lip sync and exercise for an hour. But Woody Shticks is one of those people. Performing this Friday and Saturday only at 18th & Union, Shtick's latest solo production 'Maniac' has little to no plot, a meager set design of some f...

BWW Review: HAMILTON at the Paramount Does Not Throw Away Its Shot
by Jay Irwin - February 15, 2018

Yes, it's true. The undeniable juggernaut that is the multiple Tony Award winner, including for Best Musical, 'Hamilton' has descended upon Seattle. Just like in New York for so long, theatergoers here will now be uttering the same query to each other, 'Have you seen 'Hamilton' yet?' And if you w...

BWW Review: Book-It and Café Nordo's THE MALTESE FALCON Makes a Killer Night
by Jay Irwin - February 11, 2018

It was a cold night in the City of Emeralds. The kind of cold where your words just hung in the air as you spoke. Lucky for me and the other patrons of Cafe Nordo, the doors would soon open. Once inside a sultry dame looked me up and down and uttered the word I'd been waiting all night to hear, "...

BWW Review: 5th Ave's MAMMA MIA Soars on Song but a Bit Light on Storytelling
by Jay Irwin - February 10, 2018

Yes, it's that big frothy ABBA musical "Mamma Mia" back again to get all the Dancing Queens shakin' it in the aisles. It's come through town several times and what fan hasn't seen the movie? But the national tour closed a year ago so how has this show not met its Waterloo? Well this is not a tour...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep's World Premiere IBSEN IN CHICAGO Tickles While It Captivates
by Jay Irwin - February 08, 2018

When a show works, when all the elements come together from cast to crew, from set to script, it's just a joy to behold. But when that script is a brand-new piece and you realize you're seeing the birth of something incredible it becomes even more special. Such is the case with the World Premiere ...

BWW Review: The Rumors Are True: Theatre9/12's YOU ARE RIGHT, IF YOU THINK Is Delightful
by Amelia Reynolds - February 08, 2018

Luigi Pirandello's 1917 "Cosi e (se vi pare)", or "You Are Right, If You Think", playfully toys with subjectivity as one gossipy family tries to get at the truth. Theatre9/12 presents a delightful and streamlined adaptation of "You Are Right, If You Think", now performing at the Trinity Episcopal Ch...

BWW Review: Theater Schmeater's Potent SWALLOW: A Visceral Examination of Loneliness
by Amelia Reynolds - February 06, 2018

Three isolated people deal with loneliness and its companion, despair, in the intensely felt and deeply moving 'Swallow', now performing at Theater Schmeater. This all takes place in an undefined city setting, preventing any familiarity from the start. Sam (played by Jasmine Joshua) is male-presenti...

BWW Review: West of Lenin's AMERICAN HWANGAP Lacks Connection
by Jay Irwin - February 03, 2018

Lloyd Sun's play, "American Hwangap", currently playing at West of Lenin in association with SIS Productions, by its very nature should be about connection and reconnection. Unfortunately, the play itself lacks the depth needed to form those connections and the pacing of the production doesn't help...

BWW Review: Seattle Public's VANISHING POINT Suffers Repetition and Melodic Inconsistency
by Jay Irwin - January 29, 2018

Seattle Public Theater currently has a musical on their boards, "Vanishing Point", highlighting the stories of three remarkable women, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson (Heather Hawkins), aviatrix Amelia Earhart (Cristin J. Hubbard), and mystery writer Agatha Christie (Rebecca M. Davis). Each of th...

BWW Review: ArtsWest's PEERLESS is a Well-Executed Tale of Modern Fury
by Amelia Reynolds - January 25, 2018

Would you murder to get into college or could you at least empathize with someone who would? Peerless re-imagines the violent world of Macbeth as a modern struggle fought by anxious over-qualified teens for limited college admission spots. Directed by Sara Porkalob, this adaptation makes collegiat...

BWW Review: Gin and Toxic Masculinity with Village Theatre's Brutal THE GIN GAME
by Amelia Reynolds - January 22, 2018

'The Gin Game' is a two-act, two person play about two septuagenarians playing cards together, bored in their retirement home. Neither Weller Martin nor Fonsia Dorsey have visitors on Visitor's Day, so they find themselves outside together, and kill time by playing gin rummy. They make polite conver...