Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 35

BWW Reviews: Balagan and SMT's URINETOWN Sets an Almost Perfect Tone
by Jay Irwin - August 10, 2014

If you're going to go after a quirky, off kilter show such as "Urinetown", you need to go for the over-stylized melodrama aspect of it or don't even bother. Well Balagan Theatre has never been one to shy away from that "go big or go home" mentality and their current co-production with Seattle Music...

BWW Reviews: CAUGHT ONE HANDED at Annex Explores Humor and Pain of Religious Abuse
by Jay Irwin - August 07, 2014

Religion, sex, scandal, underwear and Britney Spears. No, it's not the latest Republican Senator's misdeeds but the autobiographical one-man show, "Caught One Handed" from writer and performer Noah Duffy. And while structurally it may have a few issues, thematically it's a powerful piece filled wi...

BWW Reviews: ACT's Three Quirky ONE ACTS Feels Like One Too Many in Total
by Jay Irwin - July 27, 2014

In my opinion One Act plays are an underutilized form in the theatrical world. Too short to take up an entire evening's entertainment and so they get overlooked. Thankfully ACT has chosen not to shy away from the form with their current offering, "An Evening of One Acts" and has even chosen works ...

BWW Reviews: Schmeater's ATTACK OF THE KILLER MURDER OF ... DEATH Slays
by Jay Irwin - July 20, 2014

Scream queens, atomic monsters and aliens abound. And that's even before the murder in Theatre Schmeater's first full production in their new space, "Attack of the Killer Murder of … Death". B grade movies haven't been this much fun since Mystery Science Theater 3000 as director and author Wayne R...

BWW Reviews: HANDS SOLO: PIANOMAN at ACT Elicits Jazzy Charm
by Jay Irwin - July 11, 2014

I always get a little worried about the one man, autobiographical shows. All too often they can become self-indulgent therapy sessions as the performer delves into a life that we may or may not care about. Luckily this is not the case with 'Hands Solo: Pianoman' currently playing at ACT as Victor ...

BWW Reviews: 5th Ave's WE WILL ROCK YOU Rocks - But is that Enough?
by Jay Irwin - July 09, 2014

Sometimes jukebox musicals need to stay in the jukebox. There are some exceptions where it works. When it's a good review like “Smokey Joe's Café” or when there's a fun book like “Mamma Mia”. But when you take the songs of a classic rock band (such as Queen) and jam them into a completely contriv...

BWW Reviews: Magic and Laughs in Teatro ZinZanni's WHEN SPARKS FLY
by Jay Irwin - June 20, 2014

Teatro ZinZanni shows are always fun and full of magic. But when they add in some real magic and a killer Frankenstein-esque story as they've done with their latest creation, "When Sparks Fly", then that fun gets amped up to a point where anything can happen and does....

BWW Reviews: Reimagined PORGY AND BESS at 5th Avenue Feels Unfocused and Rushed
by Jay Irwin - June 18, 2014

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. A motto to live by. That is, apparently, unless you're Diane Paulus who knows better than the original creators of “Porgy and Bess”, currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, on how it should be told. Sure, it's mostly the same basic story but with the pared do...

BWW Reviews: PASSING STRANGE from Sidecountry Delivers the Poetic Beauty of a Rock and Roll Life
by Jay Irwin - June 14, 2014

How do you put on an autobiographical show, known to be performed by its author, without that author? It's like "700 Sundays" without Billy Crystal or "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" without Elaine Stritch. Well, fledgling theater company Sidecountry Theatre has done just that with their production of...

BWW Reviews: Theatre22's THE LISBON TRAVIATA Relies Too Heavily on a Love of Opera
by Jay Irwin - June 09, 2014

Terrence McNally is by far one of my favorite playwrights. I mean his current Broadway offering had me in tears as does most of his work. But even your favorites are bound to have one or two pieces that just don't work for you. Such is the case with 'The Lisbon Traviata' currently being produced ...

BWW Reviews: THE PRICE at ACT is Worth Paying
by Jay Irwin - June 06, 2014

OK, so we'll start off with the fact that it's an Arthur Miller piece. One of the greatest storytellers of our time and ACT's current production of "The Price" is a shining example of that. But add into the genius of Miller a killer set, sizzlingly intense pacing and a stunner of a cast and ACT ha...

BWW Reviews: Well Performed and Harrowing A SMALL FIRE from Sound Theatre Company Misses the Mark
by Jay Irwin - June 01, 2014

Maybe it was the fact that the theater was a hot box. Maybe it was the incessant nervous twitch that one audience member had that apparently everyone could hear but him. Or maybe it was that the show just isn't my style. But Sounds Theatre Company's production of "A Small Fire", while having some...

BWW Reviews: Faustian Silliness in Arouet's DON JUAN IN CHICAGO
by Jay Irwin - May 30, 2014

I must apologize, Dear Readers, for getting this one to you so late. But alas when the Mothership beckons I must go. Unfortunately it meant me coming late to the party that is Arouet's production of David Ives' 'Don Juan in Chicago' which leaves you only two more chances to see this hilarious prod...

BWW Reviews: ONCE at the Paramount - Touching and Simple Storytelling
by Jay Irwin - May 28, 2014

We all know the annoying trend of turning every well-regarded or sellable movie into a Broadway Musical. Do we really need a stage version of the popular film especially when that film is pretty much a musical already such as with the indie sleeper hit "Once"? Well, I don't know if we need it but ...

BWW Blog: To the Mothership - Day Five - If/Then
by Jay Irwin - May 24, 2014

Well this is it, Dear Readers. The trip has come to an end (sigh) and even as I type this I am winging back to the Emerald City and leaving the Mothership behind. It's been an exciting trip with tons of thrilling theater. But before we wrap up, we still need to talk about one more show, "If/Then'...

BWW Blog: To the Mothership - Day Four - HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL
by Jay Irwin - May 20, 2014

It's day four Dear Readers, it's almost all over (sigh), and it's all slowing down. Only one show last night and only one more remaining. But let's not focus on the sadness of having to leave the Mothership soon, let's focus on killing the mean, popular kids....

BWW Blog: To the Mothership - Day Three - LADY DAY and BUYER & CELLAR
by Jay Irwin - May 19, 2014

Day three was yet another roller coaster of emotions as we went from the tragic yet beautiful to the hilarious. I guess I planned this schedule pretty well. Let's start with the beyond words amazing Audra and then we'll move on from there....

BWW Blog: To the Mothership - Day Two - GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE, MOTHERS AND SONS and HEDWIG
by Jay Irwin - May 19, 2014

Day two, my three show day, is behind me Dear Readers and it was an absolutely exhilarating one filled with laughs, tears, and culminating in a stunner of a show. But we'll get to Neil in a minute....

BWW Blog: To the Mothership – Day One – CASA VALENTINA and SLEEP NO MORE
by Jay Irwin - May 17, 2014

Greetings Dear Readers. The lure of the Mothership was finally too great and I have returned to her to see what kind of wisdom she wants to impart. Yes, I have returned to New York to avail myself of the fabulous new shows the city has to offer....

BWW Reviews: Village's FUNNY GIRL Brings the Sweet and Funny Plus the Power
by Jay Irwin - May 16, 2014

OK let me start off by saying, Babs she ain't and thank God for that. OK, now before you all form the lynch mob, I love Babs. But if anyone is going to even attempt to put on "Funny Girl" the worst thing they could do it try to pass off an imitation of an icon. And Sarah Rose Davis in Village's c...

BWW Reviews: STAGEright's A NEW BRAIN Feels Undercooked
by Jay Irwin - May 09, 2014

William Finn's shows are not easy to produce. Maybe that's why (with the exception of Spelling Bee) they're not done as often as they deserve. And his largely autobiographical "A New Brain" is no exception with its emotional storyline and rich score not to mention some odd staging elements it requ...

BWW Reviews: 5th Ave's A ROOM WITH A VIEW Searches for Identity
by Jay Irwin - May 01, 2014

The main characters in the new musical version of "A Room with a View" spend their time trying to figure out who they want to become. Unfortunately the show itself also has an identity crisis, as it could never figure out what kind of show it wanted to be. And that, combined with songs that rarely...

BWW Reviews: Seattle Shakes' KING LEAR Suffers Inconsistencies and Weak Choices
by Jay Irwin - April 28, 2014

A Shakespearean classic directed by Sheila Daniels. Sounds like a dead lock winner right? Unfortunately Seattle Shakespeare Company's current production of "King Lear", while having some moments of power, ultimately left me wanting. Wanting for what? That's tough to say. There were so many litt...

BWW Reviews: Sharp Tongues in Seattle Rep's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
by Jay Irwin - April 24, 2014

As Americans we tend to love to witness a good familial car wreck. That's why dysfunctional family dramas are so popular (not to mention the hoards of people behaving badly on reality TV). But long before the Weston's of Osage County hurled their first insult or popped their first pill, George and...

BWW Reviews: Balagan's ERNEST SHACKLETON Has Come to Rescue Us from the Ordinary
by Jay Irwin - April 20, 2014

It's not based on a book or a movie or (God forbid) a TV show. It isn't the dusted off classics from some forgotten pop icon. What Balagan Theatre has brought us with the world premiere of "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me" is a quirky, fresh and completely original new musical and one of the most excit...