Ryan McCabe News

There's a certain amount of pressure when a theater company becomes the first in the area to produce a big name show locally. Yes, it's a coup to be the first to get the rights (and Balagan seems to be cornering the market on that this season) but they also need to do the show justice or else, why bother? This is why what Balagan is pulling off with their current production of "Avenue Q" is all the more spectacular. Not only have they put up one of the new hot shows but they've done it in a way that rivals any tour of the show and created an outstandingly fun time that will leave you grinning all the way home.

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.

Returning home for its first local Seattle production, the Tony Award-winning rock musical Next to Normal will be co-produced in February 2013 by award-winning companies Balagan Theatre and Contemporary Classics. Starring in the pivotal leading role will be one of Seattle's most regarded actors, Marya Sea Kaminski, in her first musical.

A show about two nobodies writing a musical about themselves writing the musical they are in. Sounds a bit self-serving and pandering. They even note that in the course of the play and that's the impression I've always had of it from the cast recording. And while I still have that impression to an extent, the current production of "title of show" from Curly Stache Productions and Balagan Theatre showed me a new side of it. A side that's funny and sweet and for the most part keeps itself from being mired in an endless series of in-jokes.

For the ArtsWest 2012-2013 season, Artistic Director Christopher Zinovitch has announced a selection of plays, beginning in September with a fast-paced irreverent rock musical about the country we live in - a Broadway blockbuster, that received Tony Award© nominations, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and two Drama Desk nominations. The holiday season will include a mix of rockin' holiday hits in a fond salute to 1960's girl groups. Audiences will then travel from Liverpool to Greece with a middle-aged, working class housewife in a classic comic masterpiece. The season's fourth play, another recent Broadway blockbuster, exposes the fundamental truths that result when opposing views of family and friends collide. The season will close with a genius at work as Beethoven and a musicologist examine the creative process against a background of passion and parenthood.

For musical theaters "A Chorus Line" is pretty much the holy grail of musicals. Most people love it and it has some of the most iconic and recognizable songs and characters out there. But few theaters are brave enough to tackle it especially smaller regional or community theaters, and with good reason. You basically need an entire stage of ethnically diverse triple threats (amazing dancers, singers and actors) to pull it off. And while I don't think I saw any true triple threats at SMT's current production, I did see a few two and a halfs and a bunch of twos.

Balagan Theatre has moved into its new home on Capitol Hill, presenting four productions in eight weeks, including the third installment of one-act comedy festival Death, Sex and the return engagement of Broadway (and Seattle) smash-hit musical Spring Awakening.

For musical theaters "A Chorus Line" is pretty much the holy grail of musicals. Most people love it and it has some of the most iconic and recognizable songs and characters out there. But few theaters are brave enough to tackle it especially smaller regional or community theaters, and with good reason. You basically need an entire stage of ethnically diverse triple threats (amazing dancers, singers and actors) to pull it off. And while I don't think I saw any true triple threats at SMT's current production, I did see a few two and a halfs and a bunch of twos.

It's that time of year again. Time to make your voices heard for your favorite shows and performances from the 2011 Seattle Theater Season. Last year's inaugural Seattle awards were so much fun that we just had to bring them back.

It's that time of year again. Time to make your voices heard for your favorite shows and performances from the 2011 Seattle Theater Season. Last year's inaugural Seattle awards were so much fun that we just had to bring them back.

Last night the incredible talent from Contemporary Classics stepped up to the mic once more for the 11th installment of their wildly popular "New Voices" series, spotlighting new works from composers around the country. Some local composers and some abroad, some new-ish pieces and some brand spankin' new for this show, Host Brandon Ivie and Music director R.J. Tancioco gathered together some of the most obscenely talented performers in the area to blow the doors off ACT Theatre and there was not a door standing when they were done.

Contemporary Classics presents the latest installment of its songwriter showcase concert series New Voices, which will perform two shows on August 15 at ACT Theatre in association with the Central Heating Lab program.

Contemporary Classics presents the latest installment of its songwriter showcase concert series New Voices, which will perform two shows on August 15 at ACT Theatre in association with the Central Heating Lab program.

The votes are in, the ballots tallied and the people have spoken. Yes, the 2010 BroadwayWorld Seattle Theater awards results are in and my oh my was it a nail biter. There was some fierce competition out there but the voters have spoken. But since the results were so close, we're going to put in not only the winners but also the 1st and 2nd runners up as well. And I'm also going to throw in my own Critic's Choice for the hell of it. So without further ado, the envelopes please...

Filipino actor, playwright and director Joel Trinidad's 'Crush Hour', a two-character play that's less than ten minutes, recently received its Off-Off-Broadway premiere at the Roy Arias Studios, 300 West 43rd Street, New York City. It was performed, alongside five other short plays, through producer and playwright John Chatterton's regular series of 'The Short Play Lab'.

Balagan Theatre is currently presenting the stage version of the internet sensation "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Zack Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. And while the show had some technical issues, it is anything but horrible.

Settle Stageright, a brand new theater company to Seattle, is presenting their 2nd show, "BJ: A Musical Romp" (yes the show is exactly what you think it's about). And while the show is not the best written piece of theater, the cast are certainly having fun with it and selling it for all they're worth, which translates into tons of fun for the audience.

Unexpected Productions over at the Market Theatre are currently presenting a little different theatrical fare in addition to their usual Theatresports line up in "Nietzsche! The Musical!" And while the show is filled with wonderful moments of cleverness and wit, it really needs some work.