Ryan Dunn News

Witness an electrifying portrait of one of history's most revered and revolutionary legends in George Bernard Shaw's timeless classic SAINT JOAN. Directed by ArtsWest's Artistic Director Mathew Wright, performances will run March 12, Thursday through Sunday, until April 5. Tickets can be purchased immediately at artswest.org.

Seattle Theater Writers Seattle's theater reviewers circle announces the Winners of Excellence in Seattle theatrical productions. Spanning dozens of theater companies and productions, from large and prominent to small and humble, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor the excellence found across the area.

Flat Rock Playhouse's 2020 season kicks off with Music on the Rock The Music of Queen, a concert celebrating the hits of the legendary rock group whose catchy choruses and memorable melodies have remained classics for decades. Featuring the group's famous songs including a?oeBohemian Rhapsody,a?? a?oeWe Will Rock You,a?? a?oeDon't Stop Me Now,a?? a?oeAnother One Bites the Dust,a?? and more, The Music of Queen runs February 13 through the 23 on the Leiman Mainstage in Flat Rock, NC.

Seattle's critics' circle announces nominees for the 2020 Gypsy Rose Lee awards celebrating excellence in Seattle theatrical productions.

Washington Ensemble Theatre (WET) and its Board of Directors announced today an executive leadership transition already underway that will be finalized by June 2020. Current Artistic Director Samie Spring Detzer, who was the first sole Artistic Director of the company, and Managing Director Jeffrey Azevedo will transition away from their company leadership roles but continue to curate The GUSH Series, WET's program for visiting contemporary performance.

Oh my! What a year! We've seen bad-ass gospel singers, lost Jewish plays, mythical towns of excretion and even an octopus wrestler or two. No, those aren't allusions to the crazy theater going on in Washington D.C. but the crazy wonderful theater going on right here in the Seattle area. It was tough coming up with just one winner (or even just a few Honorable Mentions) but I managed to do it a?? for the most part. Plus, some shows that more of you should have seen. (Yes, that's me nagging you all, Dear Readers, to check out more of the smaller or obscure theaters around here.) But what it all comes down to is, we're blessed here in the Northwest with an over-abundance of theatrical riches and I'm so fortunate to be able to share some of my favorites of the year with you with the BWW 2019 Seattle Critic's Choice Awards (Jay's Picks). So, let's get started, shall we?

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

THEY GOT THE BEAT! Join us this holiday for a fairy-tale celebration of love and acceptance in this raucous royal family a?oevacation,a?? HEAD OVER HEELS. Venture to the forest with the royals of Arcadia on a quest to save their beloved kingdom after they learn of an Oracle's prophecy of doom, all while moovin' and groovin' to the music of The Go-Go's in this exuberant Elizabethan-inspired musical!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Brian Ames in a?oeCarols And Keysa?? on November 30th. Brian Ames, pianist and composer, mixes the traditional piano bar show with a holiday twist. Kick off the Christmas season with this audience participation show of Traditional Carols, Holiday Classics, and Broadway Hits.

Context is Key. Without context, your message can be completely lost. Such has happened with Washington Ensemble Theatre and their season opener, Aleshea Harris' a?oeIs God Isa??. If you look up information on the show or even read the promotional material put out by the theater, the show a?oeInspired by Spaghetti Westerns and Afro-punk, this electrifying play follows twin sisters who go on a killing spree to exact revenge on their creatora?? bringing up notions of allegory and some comedic undertones. In fact, from what I could find about the original production, that's where they aimed. But here they've missed the mark on the context and are left with a story of violence and revenge leaving me, after the show, to ask a?oewhya??.

The Horse in Motion returns with another unique theatrical experience, opening May 17 in an art gallery in Pioneer Square.

Washington Ensemble Theatre has announced its 2019/2020 Season, a magical lineup of plays that revels in the beauty of ritual and rite, histories and futures, and the sacred and mystic. Centered around the theme "The Divine," WET will celebrate the magnificent and transcendent forces of nature that change the way we live. The season includes the quasi-fable Is God Is by Alesha Harris, the razor-sharp preteen energy-filled play Dance Nation by Clare Barron, Raja Feather Kelly's UGLY (Black Queer Zoo), which is the second installment of its GUSH Series, and an examination of the cosmic duality of good and evil in a new collaboration with the beloved Cherdonna Shinatra, The Strange Case of Dr. Cher and Mr. Donna. WET will continue to produce as a resident company at 12th Avenue Arts in Capitol Hill. Subscriptions start at $60 and are on sale now at www.washingtonensemble.org.  

This month Washington Ensemble Theatre (WET) will present a limited engagement of Singlet, a critically acclaimed new theatre work by the genre-defying performer and creator Erin Markey. Singlet is the inaugural show in The GUSH Series, WET's new program that presents theatrical works from outside Seattle that are curated by the Ensemble and performed on its mainstage.

From the moment you set foot inside the theater at 12th Ave Arts to catch Washington Ensemble Theatre's current production of Charise Castro Smith's "Feather's and Teeth" you'll be struck with two things. First, the desperately trying to be idyllic 1970's family home that's slightly off kilter from the brilliant set by Pete Rush, and second, the earworm of Nancy Sinatra's insistent "It's Such a Pretty World Today" boring its way into your head thanks to the pitch perfect sound design from Maggie L. Rogers, both setting a delightfully askew tone for what's about to happen. And both setting up the fantastic journey with a fantastic design team and fantastic actors and fantastic staging making for a … say it with me … a wonderfully creepy show. (I told you things were a little off, right? Don't expect the expected.)

JOHN at ArtsWest is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum, nestled in a puzzle. The show is peppered with interesting bits of information, side stories, tangents, and seemingly pertinent details. However most of these bits only serve to fully realize the characters rather than apply to the plot. You can easily find yourself chasing meanings in references that are never explained or even mentioned again. The amount of detail and richness of backstory is amazing. The amount of unanswered questions is frustrating. JOHN is a show rich with characters and short on plot.

The Horse in Motion returns with another unique immersive experience, this time among Pioneer Square's vibrant art galleries.

The Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse, New York is now delighting audiences with their entertaining and engaging production of Herb Gardner's play I'm Not Rappaport. Impressively directed by Vincent J. Cardinal, the production marks the reunion of Fred Grandy and Ted Lange, castmates of the beloved television series The Love Boat.

The Producers and Creative Team of the upcoming Revelation: The Musical announced the Off Broadway cast and revealed their plans to also include over 20 different guest artists over the course of the run.

Caf Nordo is proud to present its first ever solo adaptation, Jitterbug Perfume at Caf Nordo's Culinarium in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square. The show runs from March 14 - May 12, 2019. Set during New Orleans' Mardi Gras, Jitterbug Perfume titillates the senses as it immerses you in the experience of living each day to its fullest; great food, passionate love, great sex, and passionate living.

Known for their roles in the 1970s sitcom "The Love Boat," Fred Grandy (Gopher) and Ted Lange (Isaac the Bartender) have reunited to star in Redhouse's production of "I'm Not Rappaport," which will run from March 14th - March 24th at its theater complex at City Center. I'm Not Rappaport is a Tony-Award winning play written by Herb Gardiner that revolves around a pair of octogenarians who spend their days on benches in Central Park, waging a private war with the environment, park degenerates and their rapidly deteriorating bodies. Despite the serious and occasionally eloquent subtext about society's treatment of the elderly, the emphasis is on the comic interplay between the actors. The show is sure to hit home with those who are are experiencing aging, or who have aging parents and family member as it deals with both the joys and pitfalls of aging and long time friendships, with humor and charm that is sure to evoke some tears but much laughter.