Kelly Rogers Flynt - Page 5

HAIRSPRAY is a toe-tapping, dance in your seat, good time show with a message we still need to hear. With an audience who came ready for a party, the show hummed along with enthusiastic support from the crowd. With catchy tunes, over-the-top characters, and energetic dance numbers, HAIRSPRAY is a whirl of excitement. Beyond the flash, the show has a poignant message of inclusion, self-worth, and acceptance.

The theater scene has been as parched as a midwestern prairie waiting for a show like this. And Paris Manzanares is a tall drink of water during a drought. With a magnificent score by composer Harvey Schmidt and lyricist Tom Jones, Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater have found new meaning in old truths. Some hard topics are served up sweetly and mixed with great humor. 110 IN THE SHADE is reimagined, reinvigorated, and resplendent in every way possible.What did our critic think of 110 IN THE SHADE at Reboot Theatre & Seattle Public Theater?

Interview with Director Marianne Savell of AS IT IS IN HEAVEN at Taproot Theatre reveals the dynamics of communal living, especially when they are confronted with change.

WEVERY BRILLIANT THING is a show about awareness - awareness of yourself, of others, of obstacles and challenges, of feelings and emotions, and the beauty of life right down to the smallest detail. While framed within the story of darkest depression, the show illuminates how much joy there still is even among the shadows. Outlook and perspective can change everything, and EVERY BRILLIANT THING is bound to change yours.hat did our critic think of EVERY BRILLIANT THING at ACT Theatre?

With a parade of mismanaged guests, lurking press, and plucky staff, SUITE SURRENDER at As If Theatre offers us a classic farce for your enjoyment. The show is a treasure trove of classic tropes and exemplary comedy. With the weight of winter receding into memory, this show invites you in for a good laugh as therapeutic as the spring sunshine.What did our critic think of SUITE SURRENDER at As If Theatre?

I recently sat down with Shileah Corey, director of Ballyhoo’s production of Fun Home to talk about the show and its significance in our society today.

BETWEEN TWO KNEES at Seattle Rep is unlike any other show, mixing shame with amusement into a piece that uses comedy as resistance. The 1491s make the voices of Native Americans heard and choose to do so through comedy. With humor as their weapon, the show takes aim at the violence, abuse, and manipulation that indigenous cultures have suffered and those who perpetrated those crimes. The show will make you laugh and make your seat of privilege so uncomfortable that you want to do something about it.hat did our critic think of BETWEEN TWO KNEES at Seattle Repertory Theatre?

Powerful, touching, and painfully relevant, DEAR EVAN HANSEN sweeps into Seattle for another run. With haunting melodies, a tight cast, and a modern digital set, the show continues to be the right story at the right time. The messages of love and loss, lies and misunderstanding, and of loneliness and connection are even more poignant for our post-pandemic world. It is a night of theater that reminds us of what really matters and that we are all in this together.What did our critic think of DEAR EVAN HANSEN at Paramount Theater?

LET ME HAMLET is a window in the world of artistic struggle and yearning. The show illuminates the highs and lows and in betweens that make up the life of an actor. In this sisyphean journey to play Hamlet, the actor must find the beauty of the pursuit before the task burns away his passion.

Expectation and electricity spark the air and light the eyes of everyone waiting to witness this moment. With a collaboration of talents from around the world and spanning years of work, Seattle Opera presents the world premiere of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. Haunting and beautiful, the story and music merge as one in this formidable show. The central truths of hope and love will echo long past the last note and curtain fall.

INTO THE WOODS at 5th Avenue Theatre is loaded with surprises and modern flair. From floor to ceiling and head to toe, this production gives a new look to this timeless fairytale. With humor and heart leading the way, INTO THE WOODS provides a night of intricate storytelling. Whether it is your first or fiftieth time to see this Sondheim masterpiece, you will leave knowing that wishes do come true, and even when they don’t, you are not alone.What did our critic think of INTO THE WOODS at 5th Avenue Theatre?

WTHE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD at Book-It Repertory Theatre is a delightful romp through the mysterious world of Agatha Christie. The characters are sly with many hidden agendas. The clues are both interwoven in the dialogue and hidden in plain view. Connecting the dots has never been more fun. Audiences will be treated to the familiar enhanced through non-traditional casting and modern touches.hat did our critic think of THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD at Book-It Repertory Theatre?

THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW is a complicated story about complex people dealing with complex issues that reveals some simple truths. Ideals and reality clash with reverberating effects. The play forces you to consider your beliefs, commitments, the value of honesty, and what we bring and take from relationships. You will be challenged, provoked, prodded, and rewarded.

Love and longing, mistakes and matches, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY pairs all the ups and down and ins and outs of love and marriage in one show. Village Theatre’s production of this Kate Hamill adaptation also pairs the traditional story with exaggerations of the humor and sarcasm. It is light and diverting as well as deep and meaningful. In short, it has a bit of everything to satisfy the tastes of all the Mariannes and Elinors out there.

A new work by ACT Theatre and the Hansberry Project, HISTORY OF THEATRE: ABOUT, BY, FOR, and NEAR will take you on a journey through time and space to meet the people who forged the foundations for Blacks in theater. The show dispels myths about minstrelsy, delves into the hows and whys of black face, and covers key players of early theater in America. Unheard voices are released, forgotten stars are remembered, and a rich legacy is revealed.

Compelling storytelling is the focus of METAMORPHOSES at Seattle Rep. Every choice is made with intention, and every facet of the show is a work of collaboration. The gods, the humans, and the demigods are all shown to have strengths and weaknesses. With stories that reach back into the eons of the past, METAMORPHOSES leads you to laugh, to hurt, and to reflect on what it means to be human.

THIS BITTER EARTH is a story of troubles: a troubled time, troubles in a relationship, but mostly trouble in seeing outside of one’s own perspective. In our modern world where issues of social justice dominate the headlines, our actions and reactions are as varied as the individuals that make up our melting pot of society. At times it feels like we are all stewing in the pot rather than melting into one people, one community. THIS BITTER EARTH deals with two opposite reactions to the divisiveness of our world and how they struggle to understand each other. The show is full of tough conversations, powerful moments, quiet nudges, and just enough hope to carry us through.What did our critic think of THIS BITTER EARTH at Seattle Public Theater?

A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE is ironically an important work by none other than the esteemed Oscar Wilde. A thinking man’s comedy, Wilde imbues this work with witty banter while challenging society’s norms. The clips along with a steady stream of laughs punctuated by occasions of loud guffaws and eye-popping truths. You will be charmed. You will be delighted. You will be entertained.

The road to fame is long and hard. AIN’T TOO PROUD guides you through the journey of The Temptations as they reach for the stars. The music is soulful, and the moves are sublime. The journey itself is full of potholes and obstacles, and the show hits a few bumps along the way. The show is a fun night of entertainment but missed some key opportunities to be so much more.

Every so often a show comes along that moves you in such a way that you are changed. There are some characters that you wish were real and could be part of your life. There are stories that are so good that you don’t want them to end. I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER is that show, has those characters, and is that story.