Jay Irwin - Page 41

Every once in awhile a production comes along that completely surprises you. A production that manages to transcend the ordinary and create something special. A production that concocts the perfect alchemist recipe of script, cast and crew to create theatrical gold. Seattle Public Theater's current production of Tracy Letts' "Superior Donuts" is just such a production.

First off let me say that the language in this is difficult at best to get through. And no, I don't mean coarse language (although there's plenty of that too) but the Irish accents and regional terms. Fortunately Sound Theatre Company's current production of "Disco Pigs" is being performed by two gifted actors who manage to wade through the accents and come out the other side with an engaging tale.

Back in 2008 Seattle audiences were treated to the pre-Broadway tryout of what would become the 2010 Tony award winner for best musical, "Memphis" by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan. And as amazing as the show was back then, the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre shows how much better it got since it left us and how good American musical theater can be.

There were just a few too many things stacked up against ArtsWest's production of "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" for me to completely get into it. With issues ranging from the technical to the presentation, I found it difficult to become immersed in this highly stylized tale. Yes, there were many fun and wonderful moments on opening night but they kept being overshadowed by a production that felt it could used a little more ripening.

The problem with so many one-man, autobiographical shows is that they are so often just someone exorcising their own demons. And that's fine when it has someplace to go. But as is the case with ACT's World Premiere of Trieu Tran and Robert Egan's "Uncle Ho To Uncle Sam" it just feels like a big rant for 90 minutes culminating in nothing.

The movie should not have been very good but Reese Witherspoon sold it. The musical is very good and the original Elle Woods, Laura Bell Bundy took an insanely difficult part and nailed it. This is why I was tentative when I heard Seattle Musical Theatre was starting off their season with "Legally Blonde" as you need a hell of a cast including a major triple threat in the lead, a killer band and a very gifted director to keep it all going. Well, check, check and check as SMT's "Legally Blonde" manages all three and provides one fun, frothy and fabulous show.

Mark Twain's play "Is He Dead?", adapted by David Ives, is an uproarious hysterical romp. Or it can be. Unfortunately the current production from Theater Schmeater, while still funny, lacks a cohesiveness that could take it to the realm of "seriously funny".

At the top of the show for Village Theatre's production of "Big River, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" we are greeted with a quote from Mark Twain and the original book. "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot." And while clever, showing that quote at the top of the show doesn't excuse the fact that there is little through line or story arc to this production. There's a ton of talent performing throughout the evening but at times they felt like they were in different shows.

OK, at times it was a little long winded; too many songs and a little over reaching in getting its message across. But beyond that Strawberry Theatre Workshop's production of "This Land - Woody Guthrie" manages to transcend the music and the message and land itself into a realm of charming and simple grace.

The impetus to cast a largely male Shakespearean show such as "Titus Andronicus" (or any show for that matter) with an all female cast can come in a number of guises. A juxtaposition of male cruelty coming from the mouths of women or the opportunity for the ladies to take on these meaty roles normally slated for men, to name just a few. Well, the former, if that was an intent in Upstart Crow's production, was kind of lost on me as about 10 minutes into the show the novelty of women playing the parts wore off and these talented actresses disappeared into their male roles. This fact only strengthens the latter reasoning as the women brought the pain and betrayal just as well (if not better) than any men.

Take away what you want from The Schoolyard's latest endeavor, "The Last Leaper of Charenton"; a transitional tale of the struggle between science and religion or a morality play about who judges beauty and sanity with resonance of the issues of today. Either way what you're in for is a promising and intriguing new work from local playwright Todd van der Ark.

I don't think many would disagree when I say Tony Kushner is one of theater's most incredible playwrights with his amazing gift for language. And his adaptation of Pierre Corneille's 17th century tale "The Illusion" is no different with its poetic dialogue and gloriously surreal arc from melodramatic to stark truth. And Sound Theatre Company's production of this magical piece, for the most part, understands and delivers the beauty of that arc.

Village Theatre was back this last weekend with their 12th Annual Village Originals Festival of New Musicals. A weekend packed with five new musicals presented as script in hand, staged reading workshops; the festival aids in the fostering and growth of these exciting new works. Some previous works have even gone on to Broadway success as "Next to Normal" (previous title "Feeling Electric") and "Million Dollar Quartet" had their start through the Village Originals Festival of New Musicals and went on to win multiple Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize ("Next to Normal"). And, as they did with last year's "Cloaked" Village also took a previous festival entry and gave it a larger production as "Lizzie Borden" had a three performance off book workshop of it's own at the First Stage Theatre down the street from their main stage Francis J. Gaudette Theatre.

There's a reason that Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize winning heartbreaker "Driving Miss Daisy" isn't produced much around here: casting. It's not always so easy, especially for a small theater company, to find three strong, age and race appropriate actors to take on this beautiful piece and do it justice. And there is where ReAct Theatre director David Hsieh lucked out with their current production as their three amazing performers handled the subject matter and the sizable passage of time in the show with grace and heart and also managed some stunning chemistry among each other.

Take a classic girl detective, throw in more 90's references than you can shake a Beanie Baby at and before you can say, "Whazuuuuup?!" you've got the latest show from STAGEright, "Calling Nancy Drew". And while the show could totally use some tightening, it's a fun, frothy and radical good time.

You know that friend of yours whose entire life is one big ball of negativity. We all have them (or maybe you are them). That person who constantly goes on about his tale of woe yet can never seem to learn anything from past mistakes. But you let him go on as you like him for some reason. That's what the new play "99 Layoffs" by Vincent Delaney at ACT felt like to me, a couple of likable yet pathetic characters who never grow and ultimately go nowhere.

No tricks, no flash, no exploding video walls or gaudy production numbers. Just an ensemble of some of Seattle's most gifted actors brilliantly savoring the meaty dialogue of Harold Pinter. That's how ACT started off their Pinter Festival last night with their productions of "The Dumb Waiter" and "Celebration". Just outstanding storytelling and plain great theater.

Is it possible that "Rent", Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking hit from 1996 has now become so dated that it no longer has the edge it once had? Or is it that the current production from the 5th Avenue Theatre is so desperately trying to be edgy that it shows its weakness? That is the question before us. But whatever you feel about the show itself, the current production at the 5th takes so many missteps that it's hard to see the show as anything but an adorable relic.

One of the biggest pitfalls of casting "Romeo and Juliet" is that you need to find younger actors (the lovers are supposed to be 14 years old) who can handle these characters and this play without devolving them into petulant teens. And this was the major issue I had with the current production at the Intiman as neither of the two eponymous lovers seemed to connect with each other or the flowery speeches and therefore didn't connect with the audience. Luckily many of the other members of the cast turned in some stellar performances making the more interesting play, "Romeo and Juliet's Family and Friends".

If a play or the message of a play is important or affecting, as is the case with David Henry Hwang's "Yellow Face", currently playing at the Center House Theatre from React Theatre and Pork Filled Players, there is always the danger of the actors in the play to over intensify the work rather than letting it stand on its own. And while the current production at the Center House Theatre definitely has some wonderful moments and great laughs along for the ride, it unfortunately suffers from this problem as the message feels forced and long winded rather than meaningful.