SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

'They're coming to get you, Barbara!' Yes, you'll definitely hear the iconic line in Weasel Productions inaugural show, 'Night of the Living Dead, LIVE!' Based on George A. Romero's classic zombie film, this parody has everything you'd expect including a delightfully monochrome feel. Unfortunatel...

If you're going to put up an autobiographical play, then you need at least one of two things. You either need a life, or a moment in your life, in which something extraordinary happened, or you need to have moments that amount to a message or meaning that is not widely known by your audience. The ...

On the surface, Craig Wright's a?oeThe Paviliona??, currently being offered from Strawberry Theatre Workshop, doesn't have all that much going for it. It's not a particularly enticing or thought provoking subject, a couple reconnecting at a reunion. But what it does have going for it is a cast of ...

There are so many wonderful things going on in a?oeBon Appetit! The Julia Child Operettaa??, the show about one of the world's most recognizable cooking personalities, Julia Child, that it's unbelievable it all happens in under an hour. But then Julia always did make magic happen in such a short ti...

As we enter the Halloween season, we'll be seeing more and more theater with a spooky or creepy vibe. So, it makes sense that the Can Can would bring back their spooktacular a?oeZombie Cheerleaders from Hella??. The problem is, these zombies are not so terrifying as they are hilarious and titillat...

SUNSET BABY at Arts West presents a slice of life with all its complexities, troubles, and truths. Troubled pasts, hard choices, and conflicting emotions rule the day in this show. No one has it easy, and no one escapes unscarred. Everyone has baggage, but must own their choices. They must all decid...

When putting up a show for Children's Theatre, one of the main things you need to concern yourself with is how are the adults doing watching your show. The kids may be having a great time but if there's nothing for the adults who brought the kids to latch onto, then they might not bring the kids ba...

When the Seattle Rep announced their season and I saw they were taking on Paula Vogel's incredible play a?oeIndecenta?? I was thrilled. But even more so I was surprised as to how many of my friends hadn't heard of it. I mean, it was nominated for a Tony, and even had the entire thing shown on PBS ...

NECESSARY SACRIFICES at Taproot Theater is both necessary and a gift to audiences. In a time of great division, this show reaches deep into the psyche of our nation and reminds us how even those with great differences can work together. With compelling dialogue, witty and heartfelt performances, and...

Dear Readers, a few years back I was fortunate enough to see a production made possible by ACT and the Kenan Fellowship in Directing, a?oeGuards at the Taja??. A show that still sticks with me to this day. And I say a?oefortunate enougha?? as it was only on stage at ACT for a few performances. No...

A really good Café Nordo show needs more than a good premise and good food. It needs a good script that really tells the story, complimenting the food, and a good pace. Their current incarnation, a?oeViolet's Attica??, has a wonderfully creepy premise which leads us into a fabulously whimsical me...

Really bad puns, noir-ish intrigue and juggling; what more do you need for an evening's entertainment? Well you're in luck, as the Northwest's celebrated comedy juggling troupe, The Flying Karamazov Brothers is back reviving their noir thriller a?oeClub Sandwicha?? at the Broadway Performance Hall....

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is packed to bursting with stories, journeys, memories, and realizations. The show occurs in three different time periods and slowly reveals how two families were shaped by historical events. The show explores how family histories both known and unknown can shape our own se...

Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel's soaring romantic and tragic musical a?oeLight in the Piazzaa?? is not often tackled a?? thank the theater Gods. I'm not saying it's bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that I'd hate to see every small company, without the resources to handle it well, take...

Dear Readers, let's set the way-back machine to May of 2005 when a musical theater geek got to take his first trip to New York and see his first Broadway shows on Broadway. He sat there in Circle in the Square and marveled at a new William Finn show called a?oeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling...

If you're an aficionado of theater here in Seattle, then you've probably heard of Yussef El Guindi or at least seen one of his plays. An ACT 2018 core member, this prolific writer has had numerous plays around Seattle and beyond. And when reading the synopsis of his current piece making its World ...

Washington DC may have the Koch brothers, but we have a Koch brother and sister, specifically David and Lisa Koch. Two of the funniest humans out there, they've brought their delicious satire to Seattle and abroad for years. In fact, 20 years ago their 70's pop duo parody a?oeThe Carpetersa?? were...

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?oeIns...

Eighty percent of having a successful show is casting. If you have the right cast, even the dullest show can shine. However, that means the opposite is also true. You can have a good play, such as Eisa Davis' a?oeBulrushera??, currently being offered from Intiman Theatre, but if the cast isn't th...

Dear Readers, you've often heard me extoll the prowess and brilliance of The Williams Project. Just last week I raved about how dedicated and tight their ensemble was when presenting the other show they have running in repertory, a?oeSmall Craft Warningsa??. But now that insanely talented ensemble...

Dear Readers, remember way back in December when the crazy minds of The Habit showed up at Seattle Public Theater with one of the most hysterical parodies ever, a?oeA Very Die Hard Xmasa??? Well I'm thrilled to tell you that they're back, this time tackling the a?oeRaiders of the Lost Arka?? movies...

PEELING by Kaite O'Reilly is a deep look into the lives of disabled actors and the issues they face both on and off stage. The three-actor show is a play within the play as we see the actors both in their staged performances and in their interactions between scenes. The show begins with one actor mi...

The Williams Project, that small theater company that burst onto the Seattle theater scene in 2014 with their incredible a?oeOrpheus Descendinga?? is back with the first of two shows within their a?oeBar Playsa?? series. This time it's Tennessee Williams' a?oeSmall Craft Warningsa?? and with this, ...

If you're like me, Dear Readers, you grew up with that indelible classic film, a?oeWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factorya?? starring the amazing Gene Wilder (and hopefully not that abomination with Johnny Depp). Or maybe you found yourself getting lost in the pages of the Roald Dahl novel, a?oeChar...

a?oeThis will happen to you.a?? That's one of the opening sentiments of Joan Didion's a?oeThe Year of Magical Thinkinga??, currently playing at ACT. a?oeThis will happen to you.a?? She's referring, of course, to the fact that everyone, sometime in their life, will have to deal with the death of a...