
Jay Irwin
Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Jay has been a theater geek for years. He attends as many shows as he can around the country and loves taking in new exciting works.
Three-letter rating system on each review is as follows. They range from best to worst as WOW (A can’t miss), YAY (Too damn good), MEH+ (Good, with some great things going for it), MEH (Just OK), NAH (You can miss this one) and WTF (I think you can figure out my complex code there).
Jay is also an actor in the local Seattle scene. Follow me on Twitter @SeattleBdwyGeek or on Threads @jdirwin14 or BlueSky Social at @seattlebdwygeek.bsky.social. You can also check me out in my web series "The Gamers: The Shadow Menace" available on Amazon Prime.
Learn More About Jay Irwin
First Show
First big show I saw here in Seattle was either 42nd Street or Hello Dolly with Carol Channing. Not sure which one was first. First Broadway show on Broadway was the original cast of Spamalot. Great way to start off my Broadway experiences especially since I hung by theb stage door (back when we could do that) and meet the entire cast.Favorite Show
Little Shop of HorrorsFavorite Stories
- BWW Reviews: FLASHDANCE at the Paramount - What? A Feeling? Nope. - Possibly one of the worst shows I've ever seen. And still one that I compare all bad shows to.
- BWW Reviews: THE BROTHERS SIZE at the Seattle Rep - Possibly one of the best shows I've ever seen. I was blown away so much I took the time to come back and see it again, at full price.
- BWW Reviews: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE at the La Jolla Playhouse -
- BWW Review: BRUCE at The Seattle Rep -
- 'Catch Me If You Can' at the 5th Avenue -
Most Popular Articles


Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at The Seattle Rep
September 4, 2025

Review: COME FROM AWAY at The Seattle Rep
December 4, 2025

Review: WE AIN’T EVER GONNA BREAK UP: THE HYMON AND PARFUNKEL MUSICAL at Village Theatre
May 23, 2026
Dear Readers, the bio-musical is a tricky thing.

Review: APPROPRIATE at The Seattle Rep
April 16, 2026
Dear Readers, why do we like shows about dysfunctional families? I posit that it’s one of two reasons.

Review: GREASE at Village Theatre
March 28, 2026
Dear Readers, “Grease” may be the word at Village Theatre right now, but don’t expect to hear that song from the movie, as the movie does stray from the original stage show from Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.

Review: MARY JANE at The Seattle Rep
March 26, 2026
Dear Readers, we’ve all had to, or will have to, deal with an ailing loved one.

Review: COME FROM AWAY at The Seattle Rep
December 4, 2025
Dear Readers, back in 2015 we were blessed with the masterpiece that is “Come From Away” by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.

Review: SHUCKED at The Paramount Theatre
November 5, 2025
Dear Readers, I want to talk to you about somewhat under the radar shows, and corn.

Review: CHICAGO at The 5th Avenue Theatre
October 25, 2025
Dear Readers, if you’re a die-hard musical theater nerd like me, there are certain shows that just feel like a warm hug.

Review: THE MANOR at MAP Theatre
October 21, 2025
What did our critic think of THE MANOR at MAP Theatre?

Review: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE at Union Arts Center
September 26, 2025
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.

Review: FANCY DANCER at The Seattle Rep & Seattle Children's Theatre
September 25, 2025
Dear Readers, what did you want to be when you grew up? Firefighter? Doctor? Lawyer? Bathroom attendant? Dragon? All worthy goals.

Review: SUFFS at The 5th Avenue Theatre
September 20, 2025
Dear Readers, lately it feels like our most basic and dearly held civil liberties are being stripped away.

Review: SOME LIKE IT HOT at The Paramount Theatre
September 17, 2025
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”.

Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at The Seattle Rep
September 4, 2025
Dear Readers, whether you want to admit it or not, we all love a little bit of schadenfreude to some extent.

Review: JURASSIC PARKING LOT at Seattle Public Theater
August 23, 2025
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

Review: & JULIET at The Paramount Theatre
July 30, 2025
Dear Readers, you should know by now my disdain for the Juke Box Musical.

Seattle’s 2025 Summer offerings
June 30, 2025
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.

Review: BYE BYE BIRDIE at The 5th Avenue Theatre
June 14, 2025
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.

Review: TWELFTH NIGHT at ACT And Seattle Shakespeare Company
June 13, 2025
Dear Readers, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is a difficult show at best.

Review: DUEL REALITY at The Seattle Rep
June 5, 2025
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.
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