SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

If you've seen it you know you love it. "August: Osage County" has got to be one of the most powerful stories to grace the stage in quite some time. And soon everyone will love it as it's about to be turned into a movie due out next November with a powerhouse cast. But until that time you can sti...

Remember those cheesy After School Specials that were on TV when we were young? No? Just me? (Man, I'm old!) Anyway, for those not old enough to remember, they were hour-long specials back in the 80's and 90's that dealt with teen issues such as pregnancy, abuse, and even homosexuality (Ah, "The ...

To say that the current production from Theater Schmeater, "The Gingerbread House" by Mark Schultz, is intense is somewhat of an understatement. In fact this modern day fable doesn't just tell its story so much as it beats you over the head with it. A little long winded at times, this gripping tal...

You know when you go on vacation and come across that amazing restaurant that serves one of the most surprising dishes you've ever had that you pine over for years and then you find a restaurant back home that makes the same recipe? And maybe they don't have all the best ingredients or maybe the ch...

A new musical about two old friends hiking the Appalachian Trail doesn't sound like a dead lock winner does it? I mean, how much can we sing about hiking? And while it does take a bit to really hook into you and at times isn't so sure of its footing, the new musical 'Trails' currently playing at V...

Sometimes Shakespeare is all about murder and revenge and history and import and sometimes it's just a goofy romp through the ins and outs of the heart. And "Love's Labour's Lost" from the Seattle Shakespeare Company currently playing at the Center Theatre is definitely part of the latter group. P...

Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire has made a name for himself as an author who takes those uncomfortable situations and artfully puts them up on stage with heart and humor. Whether dealing with the loss of a child or the loss of memory his crisp dialogue always conveys sincere emotion and a discomfor...

God has heard our prayers. He knew we were all longing for some hot guys to come and teach us all about his divine wisdom and make us laugh along the way. And so he has sent us the Seattle Musical Theatre production of 'Altar Boyz' to show us the path. Not only do they have some incredible voices...

Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" may be about a con man but at its heart it's a love story. A love story about a man who's willing to give up his duplicitous ways so he can be with the one woman who sees through his lies. And it's because this is a love story that it's such a shame that the curre...

Sometimes all the elements of a show come together to form something truly special. Every aspect combines to take the piece beyond just a piece of theater and into the realm of art. (Yes I know theater is an art form but you know what I mean.) Well, "War Horse" currently playing at the Paramount ...

Frank Loesser's "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" is one of those shows that's just plain fun. It's hard to make it not fun. But beyond the fun, in order to make it really shine it needs a consistent style and pace and that's where the current production at Second Story Rep could ...

The highly anticipated local production of the hit Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey show "Next To Normal" has finally opened at Capitol Hill's Balagan Theatre. And while still an incredibly evocative and powerful show, the current production, while technically superb, didn't quite manage that same hard hi...

When looking back on the history of the human race it always shocks me on how backwards a people we really can be. For example, why would a people restrict half of their fully functioning and intelligent members from trying to create advancements in their chosen fields? Yes, that's what we did and...

I should really start off by apologizing, dear readers, as I'm about to share with you a production that you cannot see. Alas it only showed for one weekend but for those like myself who were fortunate enough to catch Showtunes' latest production, "Falsettos" then you realize that, even though it w...

What would you do if you had a child who couldn't run or play or really even communicate? That's the central question of Peter Nichols' 1968 play “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg” currently playing at ACT from fledgling theater group Thalia's Umbrella. And while I definitely found some moments a...

Theresa Rebeck has made a name for herself with her rich and engaging characters on stage and most recently with her look into the underbelly of theater with her hit TV show, "Smash". And along those lines her play "The Understudy" currently playing at Seattle Public Theater manages a fun and illum...

I love a good dark comedy. There's just nothing more fun than laughing at things you really shouldn't. This is probably why I like the plays (and films) of Martin McDonagh so much. Not just that they deal with people with nefarious pasts doing dark dealings but that he always puts a kind of ridic...

I'm all for complex interpersonal family dramas. "August: Osage Country" for example is one of the best. But the current production from Bash Theatre and Radial Theater Project, "Beating Up Bachman" playing at West of Lenin is not that play no matter how much it tries to be. With its competing an...

To think that a murder mystery that's been around for 60 years such as “The Mousetrap', currently playing at Village Theatre, could still be fresh. I mean, everyone knows who the killer is by now, right? Nope. I for one couldn't remember and from the gasps in the audience many others couldn't e...

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 my...

As with any David Mamet play, "American Buffalo" currently on stage at the Seattle Rep has a few stock elements. Clever banter, high stakes and more F-Bombs than you can shake a stick at. Yes, if you're put off by harsh language then stop reading now and plan on seeing something else. But if you ...

The juggernaut has arrived! Yes the winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, "The Book of Mormon", has come to the Paramount Theatre to sold out houses. But can this highly anticipated touring show live up to all the hype and deliver? Do the Elders in Africa put on fabulous tap numbers?...

I have to say that I was already a fan of the storytelling prowess of local director Russ Banham especially since his recent production of "Superior Donuts". Which is why I was all the more optimistic when I heard he was taking on Seattle Shakespeare Company's new translation of Henrik Ibsen's "A D...

We've all been suspicious of how Mary really became pregnant with Jesus. I mean, Immaculate Conception? Come on! Well last year's sold out hit "Wisemen" is back to investigate just that. And while structurally it felt like it droned a bit, the sacrilegious hilarity is the perfect departure to th...

Not to let Christmas go by unscathed, Seattle Public Theater has cooked up two somewhat off kilter Christmas shows this year. Each containing something for theater goers of all ages, they may not be your typical holiday fare but they are a breath of fresh air from the norm and both left this jaded ...