Joshua Carter News

HO-HO-HO! The popular holiday movie comes to life; A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL is making its West Michigan debut and canonly be found at GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE, November 20 - December 20, 2015. Based on a story by Jean Shepherd and the motion picture A CHRISTMAS STORY (produced with the permission of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Dalphie Entertainment), the show features book by Joseph Robinette and music & lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

HO-HO-HO! The popular holiday movie comes to life; A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL is making its West Michigan debut and canonly be found at GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE, November 20 - December 20, 2015. Based on a story by Jean Shepherd and the motion picture A CHRISTMAS STORY (produced with the permission of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Dalphie Entertainment), the show features book by Joseph Robinette and music & lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Seattle media have honored ACT's ambitious 2014-15 season with a number of awards. Details below!

Joshua Carter, currently working the national musical tour of Once, wins Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Male) for his work in Little Shop of Horrors, along with his co-lead, Jessica Skerritt. Bill Berry wins as well as director of the co-production of ACT Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theater (housed at ACT).

Seattle Theater Writers critics' circle just announced the nomination slate of the fourth annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards,theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters in the prior calendar year.

Oh my! It's been a hell of a year for the Seattle Theatre scene and I can say we've been quite fortunate to see the incredible shows we have. So many amazing shows in fact that picking just a few stand outs (let alone a "best") is a near impossibility. But I have searched the deep dark recesses of my memory to find the shows and performances that really stood out and stuck with me beyond the evening and throughout the year. And so, without further ado, I'm thrilled to present the BWW 2014 Seattle Critic's Choice Awards (or Jay's Picks). Let the awesomeness flow!

Seven months, 22 cities and over 500,000 audience members later- the ONCE national tour is in full swing! Starting next week (May 27 - June 8) they hit Seattle for 16 performances at the Paramount. While there, they will be having a very special benefit concert at Neumo's next Sunday 6/1 at 9:30pm. All proceeds will go to VH1 Save The Music, who have created a new Keys + Kids grant program (with Sara Bareilles) to get new pianos into school music programs.

It's one of my all time favorite shows so naturally I'm a little picky about it. I mean, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of those near perfect musicals. Great story, great characters, super fun music, it's got it all. But just as the plant in the show feeds on blood, so does the show, metaphorically speaking of blood as being the grit, funk, soul and attitudes of 1960's doo-wop and B-horror movies. And while there's a ton of talent and great voices on the stage of the current joint production from ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre, there's also a shocking lack of that "blood" from the production.

Straight from Skid Row, Audrey II is taking a bite out of Seattle in Little Shop of Horrors, the delightfully demented musical comedy about a man and his plant. Based on the 1960 black comedy film, this hysterical musical devours audiences in the fourth of an incredibly successful string of collaborations between The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT - A Contemporary Theatre. After his recent Broadway debut at the helm of First Date, The 5th Avenue's own Bill Berry will direct this camp horror hit that ran for five years Off-Broadway. Little Shop of Horrors features an incredible cast that includes Seattle stars Joshua Carter, Jessica Skerritt, Jeff Steitzer, David Anthony Lewis, Eric Esteb, Ekello J. Harrid, Jr., Alexandria Henderson, Naomi Morgan, and Nicole Rashida Prothro.

The Holy Grail of Entertainment at The 5th Avenue Theatre: Monty Python's Spamalot. Featuring an all-star Seattle cast. Lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with Book and Lyrics by Eric Idle; Music by Eric Idle, John Du Prez, and Neil Innes. Directed by Josh Rhodes with choreography by Lee Wilkins, the show will run January 30-March 2, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look below!

The Holy Grail of Entertainment at The 5th Avenue Theatre: Monty Python's Spamalot. Featuring an all-star Seattle cast. Lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with Book and Lyrics by Eric Idle; Music by Eric Idle, John Du Prez, and Neil Innes. Directed by Josh Rhodes with choreography by Lee Wilkins, the show will run January 30-March 2, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look below!

If you know what I mean when I say things such as "Are you telling me cocoanuts migrate?!?" "She's got huge tracks of land!" and "Ni!" then you're my kind of nerd who understands the joy that is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". And while musical theater nerds are aware, I was surprised to find out how many others didn't know that the genius of Holy Grail was giddily translated into the musical "Monty Python's Spamalot" which ran off with the Tony for best musical in 2005. And now the 5th Avenue Theatre presents an all local production of the smash hit and with the talent and design at their disposal, it's about as close to the Broadway show as you're going to get (without Jews, of course).

A Contemporary Theatre single tickets go on sale to the public for all 2014 Mainstage shows February 12, 2014. ACT is offering 50% off of adult price tickets for previews of Bethany one-week only February 12-18.

The Holy Grail of Entertainment at The 5th Avenue Theatre: Monty Python's Spamalot. Featuring an all-star Seattle cast. Lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with Book and Lyrics by Eric Idle; Music by Eric Idle, John Du Prez, and Neil Innes. Directed by Josh Rhodes with choreography by Lee Wilkins, the show will run today, January 30-March 2, 2014.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are storming The 5th Avenue Theatre in Monty Python's Spamalot, the perfect musical to fight the winter blues. Based on the blockbuster 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this hilarious musical comedy lays siege to Seattle featuring a stellar lineup of local talent including Joshua Carter, Allen Fitzpatrick, Richard Gray, Laura Griffith, Louis Hobson, Greg McCormick Allen, Matt Owen, and Dane Stokinger. Called "Fantastic! Gorgeously silly!" by The New York Post, Spamalot blends cerebral audacity with slapstick absurdity in this wacky version of King Arthur's mythical search for the Holy Grail. Bringing to the stage such classic Monty Python shticks as the Knights Who Say Ni, the killer rabbit, flying cows, and "Always Look on the Bright Side of Your Life," Spamalot is side-splitting fun.

Holy Crap! That's really the most emphatic sentiment I can use to describe the internal battles I had when trying to pick my top picks for this past year. There were so many amazing performances and achievements that to pick just one was almost an impossibility (and as you'll see, WAS an impossibility for one category). But the battle is over and it's my distinct pleasure to announce my picks for the 2013 Broadway World Seattle Critic's Choice Awards (or Jay's Picks, if you prefer).

The Holy Grail of Entertainment at The 5th Avenue Theatre: Monty Python's Spamalot. Featuring an all-star Seattle cast. Lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with Book and Lyrics by Eric Idle; Music by Eric Idle, John Du Prez, and Neil Innes. Directed by Josh Rhodes with choreography by Lee Wilkins, the show will run January 30-March 2, 2014.

DAS BARBECÜ IN CONCERT has extended for 2 shows on August 19th and 22nd.

Wagner's 'Ring' is back in town at Seattle Opera. Some say for the last time (at least as it is now) as Speight Jenkins is stepping down from the organization. So it's only fitting that the abridged twangy retelling the cycle, 'Das Barbecu' make it's way back again. But unlike the productions in the past (like the most recent at ACT) this one is a bit trimmed down into a concert version (music in hand). But not to worry as the three night only run is still filled with hilarity and heart as the performers shine like some magic gold.