Jay Irwin - Page 19

It's going to be very tough, Dear Readers, to tell you about the latest offering from Intiman Theatre, 'Barbecue', as I don't want to give anything away. The show is packed full of twists, turns and misdirections that for me to tell you much would be tantamount to writing up a review of certain movies and sharing details like, Rosebud is a sled, Darth Vader is Luke's Father, or Bruce Willis is a ghost too. But I will try simply by saying that Robert O'Hara's play is quite engaging and filled with rich dialog and his script is only served by some outstanding performers.

I was fortunate enough to have a quick chat with Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay, the composers of the new musical version of the film 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion', about to make its world premiere at the 5th Avenue Theatre.

It's always the quiet ones you have to look out for. That sentiment works well for people but in this case also for a certain theater, Seattle Public Theater. They don't put on the biggest, most well-known shows and they're not always in the foreground of people's thoughts for "must go" theater but maybe they should be. They've been fairly consistent this season in putting on edgy shows with which you may not be instantly familiar but once immersed in them what you get are some stunning performances, starting the season with their killer "On Clover Road" and leading up to their current offering "Grand Concourse". I'll admit to an unfamiliarity with the piece before going but now that I have I can do nothing but recommend catching it especially in order to catch four incredibly thoughtful and engaging performances.

Attention all you Broadway producers out there … or even you wanna-be producers … or just people who love to laugh, you'll want to head on down to the Jewelbox Theater at the Rendezvous to catch two comedy savants educate us with some historical fiction with "Gutenberg! The Musical!" But maybe don't expect to learn anything, just expect to laugh.

Back in the day when I was a mere fledgling musical theater geek I was introduced to the show 'Dreamgirls'. You might say this was my gateway cast album that put me on the path toward the musical addict I am today as I practically wore out the CD. So you'll understand if I'm a little picky about this show. I mean, how could someone live up to the magic of Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine? Since then I've seen a few productions that have all been OK but never got me there until now. And true, you can't ever really compare with the originals but the current production from Village Theatre does a mighty fine job.

'An American in Paris' is one of those films that, when you mention it, people who have seen it give a contented little sigh. And those people, and many more, can add the stage version to give them that warm fuzzy feeling as the tour, currently playing at the Paramount, brings in much of the same music, dance, and romance as the film.

I've never been a fan of transplanting classic works such as Shakespeare to "new and exciting" locales and time periods but I have seen it work as long as the adaptation enhances the existing story somehow or at the very least makes sense with the story. Unfortunately, Seattle Shakespeare Company's current musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with a 1930's movie musical bent fails on both respects and then some. It's got a few elements in it that work but overall it makes little sense and the added music adds nothing but confusion.

Last night musical theatre nerds around the Seattle area may have felt a disturbance in the force as if there was a diva among us. Well, if you did you can take solace in that you were right however unless you were there you certainly missed out as Broadway's Kelli O'Hara killed it during her performance at the Seattle Children's Theatre's fundraising gala.

If you're going to riff on a classic, then have something to add to the conversation. Sometimes it works beautifully such as the amazing 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead' or the current critically acclaimed Broadway hit 'A Doll's House, Part 2'. But without something new to add any kind of parody just becomes a self-indulgent pale rehash of the original. Such is the case with 'Cherdonna's Doll's House' currently playing from Washington Ensemble Theatre.

You may remember, Dear Readers, my lack of affinity for performance art. I usually just find it confusing and lacking much meaning, which ultimately makes me feel like I'm just not smart enough to get what they're trying to convey. So with that in mind you'll understand how well crafted Nike Imoru's "Ode" currently playing at West of Lenin must be as I not only got what she was trying to convey but was riveted.

First off, Dear Readers, let me explain that you will see no singing Ice Princesses or wacky snowmen in this show. This particular play called "Frozen", currently playing at ArtsWest, is about as far away from the Disney movie as it could be considering it deals with serial killers. And while the performances are quite powerful and it's a very interesting subject, at times it feels like a lecture on serial killers and other times a drama with some superfluous storylines.

Way back in 1991 a young fledgling theater geek saw a performance from the new musical "The Secret Garden" by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon on the Tony awards and he became obsessed with it. He listened to the cast album over and over and fell completely in love with it when he saw the first national tour as it came through town. That young theater geek was, of course, me. And since then the show has managed to work its way into being one of my all-time favorites. I've seen several productions over the years, some good and some not so good. I've even been fortunate enough to be a part of a production. So you'll understand, Dear Readers, that I'm quite picky about this show. Well there's a new reworked version of the show currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre and the best thing I can say for it is that there's a lot of talent up on that stage. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of missteps including the rework that does nothing to improve the already wonderful show. If fact it saps much of the heart in favor of making it shorter.

A few years back on one of my trips to New York, pretty much anyone I talked to about what shows I was seeing was aghast that I wasn't seeing 'Here Lies Love' Off-Broadway. And to each of them I'd say, 'a musical about Imelda Marcos written by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim? No thanks, not my thing.' I mean sure, an interesting story and I have respect for the artists (if not much familiarity) but how would this work? Well, now with the new production currently playing at the completely-reconfigured-for-the-show Seattle Rep I'm being forced to sit down to a healthy serving of crow and it's delicious. Not only due to the thoroughly innovative staging and stellar performances but also for Byrne and Fatboy Slim creating a fresh method of storytelling that is a welcome addition to musical theater.

In Keiko Green's 'Nadeshiko', currently getting its world premiere from Sound Theatre Company, there are two stories happening on the stage. Only one of the stories is very well fleshed out and only one is very interesting and unfortunately they're not the same story. With stiff and stilted dialogue, pacing, and acting, the play amounts to a look into an interesting part of history most are unfamiliar with but doesn't explore that history in an interesting way.

Expect to be killed when you attend the current production of "Murder for Two" at ACT Theatre in conjunction with The 5th Avenue Theatre. You won't be shot or stabbed but you certainly run the risk of busting a gut, passing out from a lack of oxygen, or just generally dying of laughter largely due to the comic brilliance of its two leads.

Anytime a theater does a one person show it's a risky proposition. You, of course, need the right piece. You need a good set that doesn't detract from the lone performer on stage. You need good direction of that performer so it doesn't feel too static. And most importantly, you need a performer who can grab ahold of the audience right away and lead them on their journey. Well lucky for Seattle Public Theater and for us, they have all those things and then some with their current production of "Grounded", a production that will shake you to your core.

In this ever-changing society of ours it's nice to see shows that take a look at different kinds of love and families. Such is the case with Megan Gogerty's "Bad Panda" currently being offered from Fantastic Z Theatre. And while at times the script felt a bit heavy handed and the production lacked some levels, the show as a whole is a sweet and touching look at another way to look at the issue of what truly makes a family.

There's the old adage in any kind of entertainment that if you have a strong finish, the audience can forgive some pitfalls that may have come before. Unfortunately the new work currently playing at Village Theatre has many of those pitfalls (and some good moments too) but they're followed by one of the most egregiously bad, anti-climactic and lackluster endings I think I've ever seen.

There's a well-known TV and Film writer who has a reputation for those quick witted, fast paced banter conversations (sometimes in the halls of the White House and sometimes while creating a social media platform. You know who I mean). And it's fun to listen to these people be more eloquent and quick than any of us could ever be in real life without a script. Now take those quick banter scenes, expand them to the length of an entire play, and pack them full to the brim with enough numbers and financial lingo that anyone outside Goldman Sachs would feel lost and what you have is Sarah Burgess' play "Dry Powder" currently playing at the Seattle Rep.

It's fine to be in the audience's face and have a scene's energy turned up to 11 but when you do it for the entire play, it gets tiring. That's the issue with Ghost Light Theatricals' current production of "Macbett". Sure it's an absurdist comedy piece but they can have levels too and without them, by the end of the play you wish they'd stop yelling at you.