BWW Review: Village's STRING Plucks Some Good Notes but Feels Incomplete
by Jay Irwin
- Mar 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 have been placed carefully back in the writer's desk drawer and forgotten. 'String' was definitely in the former camp, a fun little tuner with a bunch of potential that has now made it to the Village mainstage. Unfortunately, the rework of this show feels like it went in the wrong direction as the story now only has one focus leaving all others out in the cold.
Adam Gwon And Sarah Hammond's New Musical String Receives World Premiere
by A.A. Cristi
- Feb 21, 2018
Village Theatre is excited to announce the World Premiere of String, a brand-new story with a mythological twist by award-winners Sarah Hammond (book), and Adam Gwon (music & lyrics), and direction by Brandon Ivie. A fun and fresh fable about fate, love, and the imperfections that make us human, String is an original story about three sisters - goddesses known as the Fates - who are responsible for spinning, measuring, and snipping the String of Life. After falling out of favor with Zeus, they find themselves banished to a modern skyscraper in the mortal world. But when the eldest sister falls in love, the very fabric of the universe begins to unravel. "We are thrilled to have such a sophisticated show premiering on our stage," said Ivie. "This show is very intimate, but also deals with understanding our place in the universe and what it means to be human. It's a show about Gods, but they deal with the same things we do - sisterhood, love, loss. We know our audiences are going to connect with these characters on a deep emotional level."
ArtsWest Announces AFTER HOURS: SUMMER OF SONDHEIM
by A.A. Cristi
- Jun 30, 2017
ArtsWest is pleased to announce the 2017 Cabaret series, AFTER HOURS WITH MATHEW WRIGHT: SUMMER OF SONDHEIM, featuring Eric Ankrim on July 17, Jessica Skerritt on July 24, and Justin Huertas with special guest Rheanna Atendido on July 31.
2016 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards Winners Announced!
by BWW News Desk
- Jan 27, 2017
The 'large theater' productions of ACT Theatre's The Royale and The 5th Avenue Theatre's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying take top honors and the 'small theater' productions of ArtsWest's Death of a Salesman and Washington Ensemble Theatre's The Things Are Against Us take top honors - for most category wins!?
BWW 2016 Seattle Critic's Choice Awards (Jay's Picks)
by Jay Irwin
- Dec 31, 2016
It's been a crazy year, Dear Readers. Lots of ups, lots of downs, and LOTS of emotions. And I'm not just talking about on stage. But let's not dwell on the bad things that may have happened in the world and focus on some of the amazing things Seattle theater companies gave us this past year, and let me tell you there were quite a few. So many in fact that in some categories I simply had to call out more than the usual Honorable Mentions as some performances just needed to be noted. You'll see what I mean especially when you get to the female categories as the ladies were certainly bringing it this year.
But let's get started shall we? Out of the myriad shows I saw this year in Seattle, here are the shows and performances that truly stood out to me.
BWW Review: Village's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN Fun but Lacks Spark
by Jay Irwin
- Nov 11, 2016
Arguably one of the best movie musicals there is, "Singin' in the Rain" has always held a very special place in my heart. Probably the first bit of entertainment that put me on the path of musical geekdom thanks to my Mom. So when I heard Village Theatre was putting up a stage production of the classic I was excited. And while every iconic moment from the movie is there (and I do mean EVERY one) and it was a fun night, the show lacks that special spark of the original and felt like a rehash of the bits of the movie but not so much the heart.
Hollywood's Classic Musical SINGIN' IN THE RAIN Splashes onto Stage at Village Theatre
by A.A. Cristi
- Oct 18, 2016
What a glorious feeling! This holiday season, Village Theatre brings to the stage one of Hollywood's most beloved classics,Singin' in the Rain. Based on the MGM film, which is widely lauded as one of the greatest movie musicals of all time, Singin' in the Rain is a faithful adaptation by the original award-winning screenplay team, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with songs by Nacio Herb Brown andArthur Freed. The production will be helmed by much of the same creative team that launched last season's hit musical, Billy Elliot, with Artistic Director Steve Tomkins once again in the director's chair.
Village Theatre's 16th Annual Village Originals Festival of New Musicals
by Jay Irwin
- Aug 17, 2016
Well it may have been hotter than blazes this past weekend but I managed to spend the weekend inside at one of my favorite events of the year, The Village Theatre Village Originals Festival of New Musicals. They presented concert stagings of five musicals still in the works. It's a great opportunity for the authors to get to see their shows in front of an audience and for us to get a sneak peak at amazing musical theater to come. Now as they are still being workshopped I can't really review any of them but I can tell you what I saw.
BWW Review: 5th Ave Proves It Knows HOW TO SUCCEED …
by Jay Irwin
- Feb 5, 2016
Dear Reader (It only seems appropriate to start this review off with that), sometimes a show comes along that feels like a no brainer. A show that's fairly bulletproof and if a theater does it well enough with enough pieces in place then it'll be a crowd pleaser. 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' is one of those shows. You're bound to walk away from it with something you enjoyed. Which brings me to the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre. They've managed to take this pleaser of a show so far beyond the bare minimum making this gem shine with so much brilliance that you may need sunglasses.
Nominees for Seattle's 5th Annual 2015 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards Are Announced!
by Christina Mancuso
- Jan 13, 2016
Seattle Theater Writers critics' circle is pleased to present the nomination slate of the fifth annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters in the prior calendar year.
Photo Flash: Meet the Cast of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING at 5th Avenue Theatre
by BWW News Desk
- Dec 29, 2015
The uproariously funny satire on corporate ladder-climbing, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, starts rehearsals this week at The 5th Avenue Theatre. This Pulitzer Prize and multi-Tony Award-winning musical takes place in TV's Mad Men era, following window washer J. Pierrepont Finch's journey from mail room to the top of the World Wide Wicket Company, all with the help of a cunning guide book. A sharp-witted send-up of the corporate rat race that will keep audiences rolling in the aisles, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is gracing The 5th Avenue stage for the first time. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast!
BWW Review: The Hills Are Alive with Character in 5th Ave's SOUND OF MUSIC
by Jay Irwin
- Dec 4, 2015
Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'The Sound of Music' is one of those mainstays of the American Musical Theater canon that has endured over the years. Pretty much anyone with a passing interest in musical theater has seen it in some form whether the Julie Andrews film, countless stage productions or even the recent live broadcast on TV (which I like to pretend never happened). And why has the show endured for over 55 years? Because it's simply a well written show. But the problem I find with most productions (especially that one that didn't exist) is the performers sing the well-written songs well but the character and thus the story is lost. Well that is not the case with the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre which had so much character and story in addition to the beautiful voices that I almost felt like I was seeing the show for the first time.
Rehearsals Underway for 5th Avenue Theatre's THE SOUND OF MUSIC
by Tyler Peterson
- Oct 30, 2015
Rehearsals started this week at The 5th Avenue Theatre for the exultant classic musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, the iconic show sweeping Seattle for the holidays. Boasting such beloved songs as 'Do Re Mi,' 'My Favorite Things,' 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen,' and 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain,' this production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music will be presented as only The 5th can do, complete with a sensational live orchestra, stunning costumes, and incredible sets. Under the direction of David Bennett and with choreography by Trina Mills and music direction by Kat Sherrell, this musical will feature an exuberant all-local cast of fresh faces and favorite performers that includes Anne Allgood as the Mother Abbess, joining the previously announced David Pichette as Max Detweiler and Jessica Skerritt as the Baroness Elsa Schraeder, with Hans Altwies as Captain Georg von Trapp and Kirsten deLohr Helland as Maria.
ArtsWest Launches New 'AFTER HOURS' Summer Cabaret Series, 7/20
by BWW News Desk
- Jun 26, 2015
ArtsWest is pleased to announce the launch of After Hours with Mathew Wright, its new summer cabaret series. Hosted by Artistic Director Mathew Wright, these one-night only events feature five of the fiercest leading ladies in Seattle theater, Sarah Rose Davis (7/20), Laura Griffith (8/10), Cayman Ilika (8/3), Jessica Skerritt (7/27), and Katherine Strohmaier (8/17). Each will dish on their lives and careers through provocative, freewheeling interviews and sing everything from Broadway standards to pop songs, backed by Mathew Wright on piano.
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