Jerick Hoffer News

Balagan Theatre will introduce the 2013-2014 mainstage season with a free community celebration, tonight, June 10, 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, featuring America's Next Drag Superstar, Jinkx Monsoon (also known in Seattle as musical actor Jerick Hoffer), and Broadway star and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, best known for creating the role of Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.

Hot off her stunning victory on RuPaul's Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales (both Cornish alums) hit the stage at the Cornish Playhouse at the Seattle Center for two performances of their musical comedy, The Vaudevillians. Seattle audiences have a rare opportunity to send Jinkx and Major Scales off to New York, where they've nearly sold out 10 performances of The Vaudevillians in July.

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced complete casting for Hairspray in Concert, featuring some of Seattle's favorite musical theatre stars and the powerful voices of the 250-member Seattle Men's Chorus. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hairspray's 2002 Broadway debut, this unique concert event will play for six very special performances of glorious and irreverent John Waters-inspired wackiness (Friday-Sunday, June 20-23). In 2002, Hairspray was The 5th Avenue Theatre's first world premiere musical to head for Broadway where it won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Musical and launched The 5th's unprecedented track record for sending new works to New York. Now the smash hit musical comes home, as audiences have never seen it before.

Balagan Theatre will introduce the 2013-2014 mainstage season with a free community celebration, Monday, June 10, 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, featuring America's Next Drag Superstar, Jinkx Monsoon (also known in Seattle as musical actor Jerick Hoffer), and Broadway star and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, best known for creating the role of Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.

Hot off her stunning victory on RuPaul's Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales (both Cornish alums) hit the stage at the Cornish Playhouse at the Seattle Center for two performances of their musical comedy, The Vaudevillians. Seattle audiences have a rare opportunity to send Jinkx and Major Scales off to New York, where they've nearly sold out 10 performances of The Vaudevillians in July.

The 5th Avenue Theatre and Seattle Men's Chorus join together in 'con-drag-ulating' Jinkx Monsoon, who has taken the nation by storm - emerging from season five of Ru Paul's Drag Race as America's newest Drag Superstar. Jinkx, the drag queen alter ego of Seattle's own Jerick Hoffer, consistently emerged as a fan favorite throughout the season, and captured the crown last night.

RuPaul's Drag Race favorite Jinkx Monsoon makes her New York debut with the premiere of THE VAUDEVILLIANS, a musical comedy show co-starring composer and musician Richard Andriessen. THE VAUDEVILLIANS will be at The Laurie Beechman Theater (inside West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd Street -- at Ninth Avenue, accessible from the A,C,E,N,R,V,F,1,2,3 trains at 42nd Street). Performances will run July 9 - 26, schedule varies.

In 2002, Hairspray was the first world premiere musical to leave The 5th Avenue Theatre and head for Broadway. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and launched the Theatre's unprecedented track record for sending new works to New York. Now 10 seasons later, The 5th collaborates with one of the world's largest and most respected choruses, the Seattle Men's Chorus. Together they will bring this special concert presentation of Hairspray, with all its glorious, irreverent, John Waters-inspired wackiness, back to the 5th Avenue stage for six very special performances.

It all began in October 2012, as 123 college teams from across North America competed in 12 different regionals over the next five monthsall for the chance to claim a regional title and come to Chicago for the 6th annual College Improv Tournament National Championship.

While on my way to catch Balagan's new production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at the Moore Theatre, I couldn't help but think back to the Nick Garrison production a few years back that was such a huge hit and amounted to a kind of theatrical religious experience for those that saw it including myself. And while I didn't get so much of a Hedwig stigmata from this production (possibly due to the fact I was already born again once so to speak and to be born again, again is just greedy) but I can say that this production is near flawless and completely showcases the true star power of its Hedwig, Jerick Hoffer.

Voting is now underway for the Seattle Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January.

It's been a helluva year for theater in the Seattle area. From the triumphant return of the Intiman with their summer festival to the hugely popular run of "Spring Awakening" from Balagan Theatre Seattle audiences were treated with some amazing shows and performances this past year. And so, allow me to shine the spotlight on some of my favorite outstanding moments from the past year with my 2012 BWW Seattle Critic's Choice Awards.

Voting is now underway for the Seattle Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.

Voting is now underway for the Seattle Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.

Voting is now underway for the Seattle Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.

Voting is now underway for the Seattle Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below!

Voting is now underway for the Seattle Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below!

Crass, over the top and offensive. Filled with bad taste, outrageous costumes and more dick jokes than you can shake … well … a dick at. If anyone asked me to describe Intiman's current production, I'd have to go with that. But did I like it? Despite a few missteps and an Act One that needs some tightening, I laughed my ass off. But then, I occasionally like crass, over the top and offensive in my theater.

Two of Seattle's award-winning theatre companies, Balagan Theatre and Contemporary Classics, will co-produce the Seattle premiere of Broadway rock musical Next to Normal in February 2013. The Tony Award-winning show rounds out Balagan's 2012-2013 mainstage season and is the first Contemporary Classics production since 2010's The Yellow Wood, winner of two Gregory Awards.