Jay Irwin - Page 43

From "Steel Pier", "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" and "Wicked" to "Four Christmases", "Glee", "Pushing Daisies" and her new hit series "GCB" (just to name a few) Kristin Chenoweth has proven herself to be a superstar. And now that super stardom is solidified in stone as she embarks on her nationwide concert tour that rocked Seattle's Paramount Theater with its premiere.

A show about two nobodies writing a musical about themselves writing the musical they are in. Sounds a bit self-serving and pandering. They even note that in the course of the play and that's the impression I've always had of it from the cast recording. And while I still have that impression to an extent, the current production of "title of show" from Curly Stache Productions and Balagan Theatre showed me a new side of it. A side that's funny and sweet and for the most part keeps itself from being mired in an endless series of in-jokes.

The thing I love about catching shows from the only three year old STAGEright is that you can see the amount of heart and love they pour into their productions. From the casting to the sets to the material itself you can tell that these folks have a definite love for what they are presenting rather than just putting something up for the hell of it. Their current production, "The Book of Liz" is no exception with its absurd yet hilarious send up of small town life and finding where you fit in.

Let me just start by saying I have never read or seen any works by Federico Garcia Lorca, so I could not be called a fan of his work. And I'm wondering if that's what you would need to really get into Arouet's production of Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba" adapted into English by Emily Mann. While there were some decent performances I just found it difficult to invest in any of the characters or situations.

As technology is fast approaching the time when we'll all have our own flying cars and robot servants (even though I thought we were supposed to be there by now) new and interesting tech also avails itself to theatrical productions. Sometimes it goes a little overboard and interferes with telling the story, but fortunately this is not the case with Wing-It's latest production, "Gauntlet". With their new interactive video game comedy, they have incorporated some new and exciting tech with their already brilliant improv skills to create one of the coolest shows I've seen.

New Seattle Indie web series CHOP SOCKY BOOM premieres today online.

This is not Liza's "Cabaret". This ain't even the edgier Alan Cumming version. The new Schoolyard production of Cabaret currently playing at Re-bar is a different animal entirely. With its more contemporary rock orchestrations and in your face style this production of the Kander and Ebb classic sometimes feels a bit forced into a new mold forsaking the spirit of the original but also manages some amazing moments of clarity of story and brilliant staging.

I'll have to admit I'm a sucker for those stories where people find new and wondrous things about themselves and succeed against all odds. Yes, I'm a sap, which is why I found myself tearing up a few times during ACT's current production of "The Pitmen Painters". It's not the most glorious script I've seen but it is a wonderful story of overcoming your given station in life and I have to say has one hell of an ensemble performing it.

"You gotta have heart!" That's the central conceit of any production of "Damn Yankees". Without that heart they might as well be singing about golf. Well luckily the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre in conjunction with the Paper Mill Playhouse has heart to spare combined with a killer cast and visually spectacular set.

Village Theatre has a tradition of bringing up new musicals (often ones showcased in their Village Originals Festival) onto the Mainstage. Sometimes it works ("Next To Normal" or "Iron Curtain") and sometimes it doesn't ("Take Me America" from earlier this season) and sometimes you have a really promising show that just needs a little more time to cook. Such is the case with "It Shoulda Been You" currently playing at Village. An incredibly strong cast in a show that doesn't always hit the mark or flow the way it could.

Sometimes I don't think we in Seattle know how culturally lucky we are. We have amazing theaters that give us new and exciting works sometimes even as tryouts on their way to Broadway. But now the Seattle Rep has pulled off a new one as we are getting Bruce Norris' thrilling new work "Clybourne Park" here even though it just opened on Broadway last week. And if that weren't enough for us to thank our lucky stars, add into that the all around stunning production of this new work with its sublime cast and we may come to realize just how much the theater Gods are smiling down upon us.

The Heroes are back! Annex Theatre's favorite band of supers have returned for a prequel to their hit "Alecto: Issue #1" with the uproarious "Team of Heroes: Behind Closed Doors". And while the hilarity and amazingly clever staging is back with some new surprises and some actual poignant moments, at times the show seems in desperate need of some editing as it felt a bit disjointed and over complicated.

Currently up to bat at Seattle Public Theater we have a spotlight on one of the most recent scandals to rock America's pastime, steroids, with "Back Back Back" by Itamar Moses. And while not one of the most scintillating looks into the inner workings of Baseball, director Kelly Kitchens has assembled a fine team of players who turn in some wonderful performances.

A show that is largely monologue narration is difficult to pull off at best. They have a tendency to fall into static rhythms rather than engaging stories. Such was the pitfall of ReAct Theatre's current show "A Language of Their Own" by Chay Yew. And while the show did have a tendency towards that rhythm I mentioned, it also manages some lovely moments and tells a heartwarming tale of what happens when love is denied.

Religion vs. Science. Psychology vs. Faith. Such is the debate of the ages and specifically of two of the greatest minds of the 20th century, C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud with almost polar opposite attitudes. And such is the topic of the west coast premiere of the Off-Broadway hit "Freud's Last Session" currently playing at Taproot Theatre. An interesting discussion of two iconic figures but unfortunately not really enough variety to sustain for an evening.

I am the wrong audience for the current show at Seattle Children's Theatre, "Help". I am not an avid fan of The Beatles (blasphemy, I know), I think I'm the wrong age group for some of the choices and I'm not sure I completely understand the choice to bring a biographical play about The Beatles to a children's theatre. So yeah, wrong audience. But, even as the wrong audience I was able to appreciate the incredibly talented performers up on that stage.

What constitutes a Broadway Diva? A Broadway star who's endured the test of time with iconic roles that remain in the minds of fans forever. Well then dear readers, we had a Broadway Diva in town last night as Lea Salonga brought her incredible talent to the Moore Theatre for a one night only concert. But beyond the Diva, Salonga kept such a simple and fun air to the evening that it was more like spending time with an old friend telling stories and enjoying their company.

It's hard to tell from the outset if David Hare's play, "The Blue Room", adapted from Arthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde", dislikes women more or men as the men all seem to be pricks and women all seem to be playthings for the men. But after reflection overnight on this string of distasteful sexual encounters I think I settled on it. The play (and possibly Hare himself) dislikes the audience as he gives us nothing and no one to empathize with and no real journey to follow.

There are certain givens in Seattle. It rains a lot. You can pretty much find a Starbucks on every block. And Theater Schmeater's presentations of "The Twilight Zone: Live!" are always a blast. And their current incarnation being presented at ACT Theatre's Bullitt Cabaret is no exception as they once again transport us into the 60's and into another dimension. A dimension of sight, a dimension of sound, a dimension of … well, you get the idea.

Currently up to bat at Seattle Public Theater we have a spotlight on one of the most recent scandals to rock America's pastime, steroids, with "Back Back Back" by Itamar Moses. And while not one of the most scintillating looks into the inner workings of Baseball, director Kelly Kitchens has assembled a fine team of players who turn in some wonderful performances.