SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

One part circus, one part play, one part performance art and a dash of improv for good measure, put all that together and you have Teatro ZinZanni. And for those that have never seen a Teatro ZinZanni show before (as I was before the other night) you may be a little put off by the price tag. But r...

Not since "Contact: The Musical" have I seen such an ill conceived new musical roll into town. But the latest new musical to get a mainstage run at Village Theatre brought up from their "Village Originals Festival"; "Take Me America" is just that. ...

Political intrigue, shifting loyalties and two powerhouses vying for victory over the other while advisors whisper their own agendas in their ears. No, it's not the upcoming Presidential campaign although one does resonate with the other. No, this is ACT's production of "Mary Stuart" directed by V...

Seattle Musical Theatre is starting off their new season of musicals through the decades with the 50's tuner, "The Pajama Game" by George Abbott, Richard Bissell, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and direction from local theater veteran David Edward Hughes. With an evening full of fun and frothy number...

There's really nothing like the first time you see one of your favorite shows. The first time I saw "Hairspray" I leapt to my feet on the final note. The first time I saw "West Side Story" I was on the edge of my seat for these tragic lovers. And the first time I saw "Les Miserables" I wept throu...

Right from the first few notes of the overture, whether you're familiar with the show or not, a musical theater lover's ears will register the familiar lilt of a Gershwin melody reminiscent of "Rhapsody in Blue" and cause you to settle in your seat a little more with a contended sigh. At least that...

Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books like "The Cave of Time" from when you were a kid? The kind that would give you choices on how the story would continue like, "If you continue toward the ranch, turn to page 8. If you go back into the cave, turn to page 10." Well, Theater Schme...

Look out! The aliens are coming! … or the monsters … or the mysterious virus … or the woodchucks? Well which is it? That's one of the questions Wing-It productions is attempting to answer with their latest improv show "Project: B-Movie". And while it seemed to be a bit of an off night for ...

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 spanki...

There's really nothing like the first time you see one of your favorite shows. The first time I saw "Hairspray" I leapt to my feet on the final note. The first time I saw "West Side Story" I was on the edge of my seat for these tragic lovers. And the first time I saw "Les Miserables" I wept throu...

Right off the bat let's just get out there what Sarah Ruhl's "In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play" is about. It's in the title for Pete's sake. Yes, the show is about vibrators and their use in the 1880's. Yes, THOSE kinds of devices and activities that usually are not discussed in polite soci...

Right from the first few notes of the overture, whether you're familiar with the show or not, a musical theater lover's ears will register the familiar lilt of a Gershwin melody reminiscent of "Rhapsody in Blue" and cause you to settle in your seat a little more with a contended sigh. At least that...

I'm not always the biggest fan of transplanting established shows to another time or place. "Hamlet" doesn't need to be set in space and "Our Town" without that old time Grover's Corners feel would just be wrong. And don't even get me started on the thought of moving "Oklahoma". But sometimes, wh...

If there's one thing that irritates me more than anything else it's someone else's therapy on stage. If it's wrapped up in an engaging story then I'm willing to overlook a lot but when it's just an author working out their issues for all to see, then don't waste my time. And while Annex Theatre's ...

Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books like "The Cave of Time" from when you were a kid? The kind that would give you choices on how the story would continue like, "If you continue toward the ranch, turn to page 8. If you go back into the cave, turn to page 10." Well, Theater Schme...

Take a much beloved Disney hit animated musical written by the incomparable Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and turn it into a big flashy Broadway musical directed by recent Tony award winner Casey Nicholaw fresh off 'The Book of Mormon'. Sounds like a no brainer, right? What can go wrong?...

One of Seattle's younger theater companies is really starting to show its maturity. At only two years old STAGEright Theatre has shown it can consistently put on quirky, engaging and underdone pieces, with a minimal production budget and do them well. And their latest endeavor, "Melancholy Play" b...

Look out! The aliens are coming! … or the monsters … or the mysterious virus … or the woodchucks? Well which is it? That's one of the questions Wing-It productions is attempting to answer with their latest improv show "Project: B-Movie". And while it seemed to be a bit of an off night for ...

There are very few new and original stories in the world today. Most things are just a rehash or new take on the familiar formula. Boy meets girl and complications arise. This is the standard romantic comedy premise that's been around since Tarzan met Jane or Tracy met Hepburn. Such is the case ...

In this world that we call theater, there are three main things devotees look for. First, you need a good script. Well, as anyone familiar with the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken knows, this show has one of the best scripts around. Plus you want a good cast and ...

It's very hard to stay objective when a favorite story of yours is taken to a new medium and not used to its fullest potential. Unfortunately, dear readers, such was the case of my latest journey outside of Seattle to see some things that the rest of the country has to offer theatrically. But I'll...

I love a good drag show. There, I've said it. When all the elements of good music, glitzy costumes and performers with well thought out characters and storylines hit the stage, you cannot ask for a better evening. This is why bad drag shows are all the more painful to me. Unfortunately my attend...

In these ever changing days of what it is to be a family, we are seeing more and more portrayals in entertainment of same sex couples raising children. Such is the case with the latest endeavor from fledgling theater company Arouet with Christi Stewart-Brown's "The Gene Pool". And while the play i...

It's not often that a touring show comes to town that surprises me, especially a Disney one. So when "Mary Poppins" popped up on the marquee I thought, "Well, this will be cute," but I didn't hold out for more than that. I mean I love the movie but what more can they do with that? Who could have ...

Times are tough, unemployment is on the rise, and people are struggling to make ends meet let alone keep their sanity. Sound familiar? Well ACT's current production of Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" sounds like it could be set today but instead we go back not too long ago to 1971 to ...