BWW Reviews: MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC! From Showtunes at the Moore Theatre

Showtunes presented a one night only concert Saturday night which not only showcased highlights from their previous shows as well as from upcoming productions but also announced their collaboration with Broadway Across America and Seattle Theater Group.  In addition they also debuted for Seattle audiences in their new performing home of The Moore Theatre in Downtown Seattle.

Now for those of you that have not had the opportunity to catch a Showtunes show before, well, I feel sorry for you.  Started back in 2000 by Maggie Stenson Pehrson and David-Edward Hughes, Showtunes dedicated itself to producing the forgotten musicals throughout American Musical Theater history.  For every "Hello Dolly" or "Sweeny Todd" there's also a "Dear World" or "Anyone Can Whistle".  They focus on the shows that are not produced all that often yet still deserve their moment in the sun.  They have tackled such gems as "Out of this World", "On the Twentieth Century", "A Man of No Importance" and even "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman".  And over the last 10 years they would perform them for only a weekend and in a concert style with music stands and scripts on stage.  Minimal sets and costumes and almost no blocking, but casting some of the cream of the crop of Seattle musical theater they would endeavor to reintroduce their audience to these overlooked shows.  When they began in 2000 they would perform wherever they could find a space but recently settled into the Kirkland Performing Arts Center.  But now they have moved into the big leagues and will be showcasing these wonderful bits of history to audiences at the Moore.

And for those of you that missed the concert this last Saturday, well all I can say is, "It sucks to be you!"  Showtunes, as they always do, presented a musical theater lover's paradise.  But even more so than usual.  Featuring some of the best performers that Seattle has to offer, they left me (and many others I could see and hear) walking out with a smile on their face, a spring in their step and humming a tune all the way down the street.  Some of the highlights of their highlights were Jessica Skerrit's rendition of "The Other Side of the Tracks" from "Little Me", Mark Rabe's lovely turn of "Love Who You Love" from "A Man of No Importance" and Bobbi Kotula's "Nobody's Chasing Me" from "Out of This World".  And that's just to name a few.  Along with powerhouses Shelly Burch, Lauren Carlos, Christian Duhamel, Hugh Hastings, Eric Jensen, Frances Leah King, Timothy Piggee, Maggie Stenson, Vickilee Wohlbach, and Matt Wolfe they gave us an evening that was better than a lot of the fully staged touring productions I've seen.  And to make the evening even better the songs were sprinkled with bits of history of the shows as well as the history of the company presented by the performers along with Showtunes Artistic Director (and Tony winning Lyricist for "Annie") Martin Charnin and Showtunes founder David-Edward Hughes.  It was a true Broadway geek's heaven.  And that's what makes Showtunes work.  Not only are you getting to see these discarded bits of happiness but also they are put on by performers who have as much love for musical theater as their audiences.  And it shows!

And they're not done yet.  They have two wonderful productions coming up that we got a taste of last night in Sondheim's "Follies" as well as the Irving Berlin classic "Call Me Madam".  And let me tell you I cannot wait.  It's really great to see the little local theater group rise through the ranks and now find a home along side the big tours.  And I have to say, I think Showtunes is a welcome addition to the Seattle theater scene and I hope more people take the time to check them out.  You're sure to have a great time.

For more information or tickets to their upcoming productions contact the STG ticket line at 1-877-STG-4TIX or visit them online at www.showtunestheatre.org.

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