SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

Guns, blood, torture and all the f-bombs you'd expect from a Quentin Tarantino film. But this heist isn't on screen; it's on the stages of Theater Schmeater as they present the Seattle premiere of Erika Anne Soerensen's gender bending parody of Tarantino's first film with "Reservoir Dolls". Beyond...

There are some shows that are done to death, nevertheless we love them anyway. This is probably why they are done to death. Frank Loesser's "Guys and Dolls" is definitely one of those shows. I've seen it several times (including one production I consider the quintessential one, but we'll get to t...

In Melissa James Gibson's play "This", currently having its west coast premiere at the Seattle Rep, the central conceit is that this is an inside look at four witty average urban thirty-somethings, a group that seems to be the go-to for new playwrights. But the problem is that these people are aver...

Seattle Shakes is rounding out their 20th Anniversary season with Shakespeare's comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor". And after starting out their Anniversary season with the sublime "Hamlet" (which I still can't stop thinking about) and then putting up their rollicking version of "The Threepenny Op...

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 ...

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...

Wing-It Productions is presenting their latest bit of improvised hilarity with "Quiz Show". And the performers may not know the answers to the questions, but they certainly know how to keep the audience laughing. ...

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 ...

The aftermath of war is never pretty, especially when some feel betrayed by the people they fought beside. That is the central theme of Open Circle Theater's latest production, "Ajax". And although it had a few uneven performances, overall it's a stirring adaptation with some powerhouse moments. ...

ACT in conjunction with the 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting the Northwest Premiere of "Vanities: A New Musical". Featuring three gorgeous and talented Seattle women, I found it difficult to find anything more to make this show stand out. ...

Seattle Musical Theatre is currently presenting the Stephen Sondheim classic exploration of fairy tales and getting what you wish for with "Into the Woods". And while not always the most polished or proficient production I've seen, this one definitely has a ton of heart. ...

Do we as Americans really know where our stuff comes from? Do we know who makes it? That's the central question surrounding Mike Daisey's one man show currently at the Seattle Rep, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs". And while a very funny and scathing look at corporate greed, at times the...

Right from the opening few notes of "9 to 5: The Musical", now performing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, the show wants to draw you back to connect with the original film. And while the show is a solid bit of fluff and definitely improved from the last time I saw it (but we'll get to that in a minute) ...

Seattle Shakes is rounding out their 20th Anniversary season with Shakespeare's comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor". And after starting out their Anniversary season with the sublime "Hamlet" (which I still can't stop thinking about) and then putting up their rollicking version of "The Threepenny Op...

Getting up on stage by yourself is, to say the least, a daunting task. If you forget a line, or a bit of staging, there's no one there to turn to other than you. So it's a good thing we have such amazing talent here in Seattle to pull it off. This is why Theatre Off Jackson is back with their 5th...

Seattle's Intiman Theatre is currently presenting Arthur Miller's post war tragedy, "All My Sons" with a bit of non-traditional casting. And while the casting didn't detract from the story, I didn't feel it lent anything to it either. But my biggest qualm was not with the casting but with the lack...

What do goats dream about? That is a question that has plagued mankind … well … not really at all. But New Century Theater Company is endeavoring to answer just such a question with their latest show, "O Lovely Glowworm or Scenes of Great Beauty" by Glen Berger. And this existential question ...

Puppet This and Eclectic Theater Company have taken on one of the worst movies ever created and presented it with their puppet friends in "Manos - The Hands of Felt". And although they suffer from a few lags in the action, the production manages to put a fun twist on one of the worst stories ever t...

Before the midnight movie showings, before the audience participation there was a little stage show from England called "The Rocky Horror Show" that tried to push social and sexual boundaries with its risque themes. Well, Open Circle Theatre is trying to bring that boundary pushing into a new mille...

Most actors have had that typical nightmare; you're suddenly in the wings about to go on for a musical that you've never even heard of before. For most, it's a terrifying thought. But for the improv actors at Wing-It's production of their improvised 1950's Rock 'n Roll musical, "Goin' Steady: The ...

In Melissa James Gibson's play "This", currently having its west coast premiere at the Seattle Rep, the central conceit is that this is an inside look at four witty average urban thirty-somethings, a group that seems to be the go-to for new playwrights. But the problem is that these people are aver...

Seattle Repertory Theatre is currently presenting John Steinbeck's depression era classic "Of Mice and Men". While not the most amazing play I've seen this season, the Rep continues to demonstrate that they know how to put up good, strong solid theater and this production is no exception. ...

Seattle Public Theater is presenting the Northwest premiere of Julie Marie Myatt's drama "The Happy Ones". And while I appreciated the performances in the production I didn't really feel the play went anywhere. ...

If you've lived in Seattle for any substantial length of time then you probably know of one of Seattle's lost landmarks, "The Lusty Lady". Whether you just reveled in their hysterical reader board signs as you drove along 1st Avenue or were actually a visitor to Seattle's favorite peep show you kne...

Right from the opening few notes of "9 to 5: The Musical", now performing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, the show wants to draw you back to connect with the original film. And while the show is a solid bit of fluff and definitely improved from the last time I saw it (but we'll get to that in a minute) ...