Noah Duffy News

'The Sunshine Boys' has laughs and smiles that harken back to the golden age of television. This production gives life to great characters and snappy deliveries. They capture the magic in Neil Simon's writing and invite you to 'ENTER!'

Dear Readers, it's been quite a year and, hopefully, we've come through it unscathed. God knows we've needed some shows to help us escape and others to make us think. But through it all we've had several shows that have proven to shine as some of the best of the year. Out of all the shows I was fortunate enough to see this year, I've selected a few that stood out. Here are those stand outs, a few honorable mentions and a few special mentions about which I just couldn't help myself but to mention in their own special way.

18th & Union is back from Spring Break, and we're looking forward to warmer weather (although no worries, we have air conditioning!). We're welcoming these shows opening in June and running in rep throughout the month.

The most common subject in comedy is sex. But Woody Shticks (brainchild of Noah Duffy and star of 18th and Union's 'Shlong Song') is not just a comedian, he's a dynamic storyteller. It's a man talking about his sexual journey. At times, it's heartbreaking. At other times, it's fantastic. Either way, you'll laugh along with him.

Mounting something as complex as a Chekov play is not an easy undertaking and should only be handled by professionals. Luckily, in Seattle, we have the Seagull Project who has been tackling these works the last few years including the absolutely incredible "Three Sisters" they put up a few years back. But as crystal clear the intent of the characters in their current production of "The Cherry Orchard" at ACT is, thanks to the stellar performances and direction, I wonder if the translation they chose isn't doing them any favors as I was never quite certain who many of these people were.

18th & Union is pleased to announce a baker's half-dozen of portable performances to welcome the New Year. Continuing with our mission to introduce audiences to artistic adventures, our Winter series has been curated by local artists Andrew Lee Creech and Keira McDonald.

18th & Union is pleased to announce a baker's half-dozen of portable performances to welcome the New Year. Continuing with our mission to introduce audiences to artistic adventures, our Winter series has been curated by local artists Andrew Lee Creech and Keira McDonald.

This absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism. 

Take two episodes of The Twilight Zone, add psychedelic aesthetics and a musical score and BOOM, you have STAGEright's 'Weird Romance.' Directed by Brendan Mack, this 'two one-act musicals of speculative fiction' somehow made a glam-rock Rod Serling fever dream accessible and intimate.

Rock music, counter-culture, and the sexual revolution take center stage in HAIR, the first and most successful rock musical of all time, at Bainbridge Performing Arts this month. Featuring the iconic numbers Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, I Believe in Love, Hair, I Got Life, What a Piece of Work Is Man, and Hippie Life, HAIR offers meaningful commentary on the generational divide of the Sixties, lending vitality and insights that remain relevant today. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Rock music, counter-culture, and the sexual revolution take center stage in HAIR, the first and most successful rock musical of all time, at Bainbridge Performing Arts this month. Featuring the iconic numbers Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, I Believe in Love, Hair, I Got Life, What a Piece of Work Is Man, and Hippie Life, HAIR offers meaningful commentary on the generational divide of the Sixties, lending vitality and insights that remain relevant today. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Rock music, counter-culture, and the sexual revolution take center stage in HAIR, the first and most successful rock musical of all time. Featuring the iconic numbers Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, I Believe in Love, Hair, I Got Life, What a Piece of Work Is Man, and Hippie Life, HAIR offers meaningful commentary on the generational divide of the Sixties, lending vitality and insights that remain relevant today.

I have to say that this is not a show for everyone, but I liked it much more than I thought I would. It was funny, had some really nice acting and had a point to make. I am so glad that I was invited and made the time to see this interesting play.

Tennessee Shakespeare Company, in partnership with the University of Memphis' Department of Theatre and Dance, presents Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by Stephanie Shine, beginning tonight, June 4, and playing through June 21 at the U of M's Theatre located on Central Avenue. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!  

Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC), the Mid-South's professional classical theatre, in partnership with the University of Memphis' Department of Theatre & Dance presents a magical, family-friendly, Louisiana bayou-inspired production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on the U of M's Mainstage from tonight, June 4-21.

Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC), the Mid-South's professional classical theatre, in partnership with the University of Memphis' Department of Theatre & Dance presents a magical, family-friendly, Louisiana bayou-inspired production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on the U of M's Mainstage from June 4-21.

Religion, sex, scandal, underwear and Britney Spears. No, it's not the latest Republican Senator's misdeeds but the autobiographical one-man show, "Caught One Handed" from writer and performer Noah Duffy. And while structurally it may have a few issues, thematically it's a powerful piece filled with humor and heart and a wonderful way to open a dialog on a difficult subject, that of abuse in the guise of religion.

Annex Theatre presents Caught One-Handed, the shockingly-true and uncomfortably-hilarious story of growing up in a fundamentalist community with more than a few things going awry.

I always question the wisdom of these smaller theaters working with almost no budgets putting up these big flashy Broadway shows. They're not going to have the funds for lavish sets and racks of fancy costumes. But even without all that Seattle Musical Theatre managed to take Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" and create an evening of naughty fun with some truly solid performances.