Jay Irwin

Dear Readers, back in 2015 we were blessed with the masterpiece that is “Come From Away” by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It had one of its pre-broadway tryouts at The Seattle Rep and was a huge hit and personally, absolutely wrecked me emotionally. Now 10 years later this brilliant show is back at the Rep but with a local production as opposed to the Broadway or touring staging. And while the show still wrecked me and made me leave with a soaked handkerchief, there were some elements that gave me pause. We’ll get to those.

Dear Readers, I want to talk to you about somewhat under the radar shows, and corn. Not all shows have that name recognition or known songs. Sometimes these new story, original musical gems come along, and they need some of your time and attention. One such show is “Shucked” currently playing at the Paramount. With a subject matter that might make some go “huh?” it could pass you by. Don’t let it!

Dear Readers, if you’re a die-hard musical theater nerd like me, there are certain shows that just feel like a warm hug. A comfort show that you can go to (and have) over and over that just make you happy. For me, along with the likes of “Mamma Mia”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, and “Hairspray”, we have the Kander and Ebb classic, “Chicago”. I know it backwards and forwards (having worn out the CD of the Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reinking revival) and I’ve seen it many times over the years, some with casts showing how the show can be amazing. I still remember Bianca Marroquín flooring me as Roxie. So, when the tour comes through town again, I say “yes please”. And while this was still my little slice of comfort food, and while some elements were fantastic, this production just missed that little something “extra” to make it sparkle.

What did our critic think of THE MANOR at MAP Theatre?

Dear Readers, I love a good farce. Those door slammers with a controlled chaos as people try and get out of ridiculous situations. But they’re not easy to pull off. Sadly, the current offering from Seattle Public Theater, the world premiere of Joy McCullough’s “Stage of Fools”, doesn’t quite manage it. With some forced dialog and a handful of jokes beaten to death, literally, this uphill slog for laughs feels like unfocused and uncontrolled chaos, making it just chaos.

Sometimes, Dear Readers, a play can come along that feels so topical, and so raw, that you may walk out of the theater feeling uneasy. And even more so when you realize that play was originally written in 1882 Norway. Such a play is the new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People”, currently playing at Union Arts Center (formerly ACT). And even with that feel of “ick” as we walked out, I was still thrilled with the knowledge of what theatrical powerhouses we have in Seattle and how, when they come together, can put on such a solid and resonant production.

Dear Readers, what did you want to be when you grew up? Firefighter? Doctor? Lawyer? Bathroom attendant? Dragon? All worthy goals. But how many of us made it there? Currently at the Seattle Rep, in conjunction with Seattle Children’s Theatre, there’s a world premiere play from critically acclaimed playwright Larissa FastHorse, “Fancy Dancer”, that touches on her own struggle with that question. And while sometimes these shows can end up being someone else’s therapy on stage, something I loathe, here she takes us through such a thrilling journey that I didn’t so much mind the exorcising of some demons.

Dear Readers, lately it feels like our most basic and dearly held civil liberties are being stripped away. And so, it’s good for us to recall how we got some of those rights. Along comes “Suffs”, a new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Shaina Taub, all about the Women’s suffrage movement, and if you weren’t motivated to demand more from our government before seeing the show, you will be after.

Dear Readers, first off there were way too many empty seats at the Paramount last night for the new musical version of “Some Like It Hot”. Where were you all? Do you not like musicals? Do you not like fun? Were you trapped under something heavy? (I will only accept the last answer as a viable excuse.). At any rate, get your tickets and do not let this one get away. Secondly, for our performance we got the added opportunity to see the resilience of theater people and the power of the understudy. But more on that later.

Dear Readers, whether you want to admit it or not, we all love a little bit of schadenfreude to some extent. That joy we take out of something going wrong for someone else. And that’s where “The Play That Goes Wrong”, currently playing at the Seattle Rep, hits the sweet spot. We can relish in the chaos while knowing it’s all supposed to happen. Seattle audiences have been waiting for this one for a while with tours that were announced and then cancelled. And while I know how amazing this show is from seeing the original London cast, this is now a local company and local cast, and it’s not an easy show to pull off. But the Rep has always been up to the task for those tough shows, and I’m pleased to say, they nailed it!

Dear Readers, hold onto your butts, they’re back! The mental patients of The Habit, the ones behind the hilarity of previous hits such as “A Very Die Hard Christmas” and “Titanish”, have once again returned to Seattle Public Theater to musically send up another hit film from the past, and this one has teeth. Rows and rows of teeth in “Jurassic Parking Lot”. And it’s exactly what you think it is … and more.

Dear Readers, you should know by now my disdain for the Juke Box Musical. But, as egregious as they can be (I’m looking at you “Flashdance, The Musical”), sometimes they manage to pull it off. And why? A good book and songs lovingly curated to fit the story and not jammed in. It’s really that simple. “Mamma Mia” and “Beautiful” are two wonderful examples as is “& Juliet”, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. So, let’s discuss a few things. First, why this Juke Box Musical works so amazingly well. And second, the power of the understudy.

It may be hot out and that bright ball may be up in the sky (I think it’s called the Sun), but there are still some amazing shows coming to Seattle and surrounding areas. Check out some of these killer shows, especially since I believe all the theaters have air conditioning.

Dear Readers, there are some shows that just hold a special place in your heart, even if they may not age as well as you hoped. Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ classic “Bye Bye Birdie”, currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, is one of those shows for me. I loved both movie versions, saw what I consider to be the quintessential production back in 1990 starring Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. Hell, I’ve even done the show several years ago. So, I’m a little picky about it when I see it again, and while this current production doesn’t surpass my previous experiences (I doubt anything could), it was certainly a solid production with a lot of fun moments going for it.

Dear Readers, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is a difficult show at best. On the one hand it’s a romantic comedy, filled with love and sex and music, and on the other hand it’s a story where some characters are in mourning for loved ones and other characters are performing vicious tricks on people just for the fun of it. So, when ACT and Seattle Shakespeare company announced they were tackling this as their first joint venture since they merged companies, I wondered which way they would take it. Sadly, they leaned in heavily on the romantic, the silly, and the music, and all but abandoned the depth. And while I enjoyed many of the performances, and very much enjoyed the music, other performances amounted to just a lot of yelling, and the ending left me wanting.

Dear Readers, if you were lucky enough to catch the circus arts troupe The 7 Fingers at the Rep back in 2023 with their thrilling “Passengers” show then you know how amazing they are, and you know why the Rep chose to bring them back. But if you missed them back then (or even if you didn’t) now’s your chance to catch them again as they are back in town with their latest offering, “Duel Reality”. And just as before, they’re here to make us gasp, cheer, and even feel with their sometimes death-defying antics.

Dear Readers, when discussing the musical of Alice Walker’s classic novel “The Color Purple”, you must acknowledge the production’s own journey from the tepidly received original 2005 Broadway production to the enthusiastically received 2015 Broadway revival which launched the career of the incredible Cynthia Erivo. We can discuss them in a bit but to start I will say that the current production at Village Theatre is certainly in the 2015 camp, with its streamlined production and roof shaking performances.

Dear Readers, It’s true, the Queens are back. The glorious rock show “Six” is back at the Paramount to melt our faces and maybe even teach us a little history. And while it’s still the same amazing show that, if you know, you know, I just wish the Paramount, and really all the musical theater houses in town, could work out their sound mixes so lyrics could be heard over the rockin’ band.

Dear Readers, I want to set the not-so-wayback machine to January 2024 when I got to see the first preview of Eddie Izzard doing her one person “Hamlet” in New York. Now I want to emphasize, this was the first preview of a brand-new show, and it was rough. This is to be expected. But afterward I was out on the street waiting for my cab when Izzard came out of the theater. Faced with the glory that is Eddie Izzard, and me being a big fan, I blurted out, “You were amazing!” Which she was, even in a rough show. She looked at me and said “That was a six. Come back later and you’ll see a ten!” Well, it’s taken a little while, but I finally got to come back now that she’s brought her tour of the show to Seattle at the Seattle Rep. And I’m happy to report she was right; we’re at a ten now.