Jay Irwin - Page 33

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 Janusz offers up a more self-reflective rather than self-indulgent journey mixed with some wonderfully sweet and jazzy tunes from he and his piano.

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 contrived and nonsensical, thread thin plot the result (as with “We Will Rock You” currently at the 5th Avenue Theatre) is a barely entertaining mish mash of songs that left me less entertained and more embarrassed for those involved. Now I love me some Queen. I'm a little too young to have been aware of them in their hay day but like many others discovered them after their run as their enduring songs continue to live on. Which is why I feel they deserve better than the show they got. A show where we're in a not so distant future and people live their lives online (not so different from now) and because of this, rock and roll has been outlawed. (And there's the main plot hole because what's on the Internet but lots and lots of music.) So when a hunky idealistic dreamer, Galileo (Brian Justin Crum) who keeps hearing the lyrics from long dead rockers meets another outcast Scaramouche (Ruby Lewis), the two set out to escape the clutches of the all powerful Killer Queen (Jacqueline B. Arnold) and find other rebels who want to bring back rock. And how will they do this? Um, play music. Yeah, that's ultimately what drives the bad guys away, music. But then we've had music through out the whole show including from the bad guys. See, plot hole. And if this ridiculous story filled with so much bad, one repeated joke (how many times can we mention that the male leader of the rebels goes by the name Britney Spears?), sitcom humor and clunky exposition laden dialog from book writer Ben Elton weren't bad enough, but then they take these wonderful Queen songs and force them into the narrative often times changing the lyrics to try and make them fit. For example, they take the title song from the movie “Flash Gordon” and bastardize it so it's now all about giving the captured rebels electro shock therapy. Or how about Killer Queen singing “Fat Bottomed Girls” because, well I'm still not certain why she was singing it other than to check that iconic tune off the list. Did no one listen to the lyrics of the songs while trying to write the show? They're all quite narrative to begin with. And Elton couldn't come up with a story that fit in with those narratives? I mean he's even got characters names Galileo and Scaramouche but “Bohemian Rhapsody” (the thing all the bohemian rockers are striving for in the story by the way) isn't even performed until the end of the show as an after thought encore. The cast does what they can. In fact they amp their energy and intent up to about a 17 in order to try and give this story some punch. Crum and Lewis certainly have incredible voices worthy of Freddie Mercury and they completely shred any numbers given to them. Arnold too has a gorgeous voice but doesn't seem as invested in playing the villain in this over the top melodrama. But I have to mention Ryan Knowles who not only lent some incredible pipes to his numbers but some delicious comedic timing and heart to his character making him completely “ROCK”. But even the infectious energy of this amazing cast can't polish away the stench of this turd try as they may. The show is a somewhat fun ride but ultimately weighed down with such a horrible book and bastardized songs that it just feels insulting. Queen deserves better and smarter as do audiences, which is why I give “We Will Rock You” a NAH with my three letter rating system. Others may have enjoyed it but I just found it not worth the effort. “We Will Rock You” performs at the 5th Avenue Theatre through July 13th. For tickets or information contact the 5th Avenue box office at 206-625-1900 or visit them online at www.5thavenue.org.

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.

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 down script and cast and the re-orchestrated music it feels like “Porgy and Bess Lite” rather than “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess” as they call it. And don't even get me started on that title. Enough has been said on that already.

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 "Passing Strange" by Stew and Heidi Rodewald without Stew narrating his own story. And while it's a little odd at first, narrator LeRoy Bell embraces the part and that oddness melts away as his charisma and talent takes center stage.

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 by Theatre22 as part of their inaugural season as well as their Summer Pride Festival. Yes, there are some good performances in the production and the set is gorgeous but ultimately it just felt like not enough of a story being offered in Act Two that couldn't redeem the lack of story in Act One not to mention the highly specific audience needed to enjoy it.

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 has an absolute winner of a show that deserves to be seen and savored.

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 stellar performances, just didn't quite do it for me.

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 production, which I urge you to do. Some beautiful direction and a killer ensemble make this bit of Ives' deliciousness even more fun.

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 in this case I'm actually glad we have it as they have taken this lovely romance and just simply let it be told through it's gorgeous music and some very simple staging and the result is a great big sigh (and maybe even a few tears) at the end of a truly entertaining evening.

Because I couldn't be limited to just five, here are the top SIX theatrical endeavors happening this summer in Seattle that have me a little giddy.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 current production manages to pull off carrying the show with aplomb while still putting her own stamp on the role.

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 requires. So if you're going to produce it you'd better have all your ducks in a row. Well all of the ducks are there for the current production from STAGEright now performing at the Cornish Playhouse Black Box but some of them didn't quite stay in that row.

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 got off the ground and never moved the story along, left the show a muddled mess being sung by some powerhouse talents who deserve better.

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 little things needling me about the production that didn't quite work that they almost overshadowed what did. But ultimately it amounted to an inconsistency of pacing and performance that left me, like Lear, out in the cold facing the storm (such as it is but we'll get to that later).