SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

Dear Readers, we’re about to enter the realm of one of my favorite shows, “Once on This Island”, currently playing at Village Theatre. This gem of a show is, sadly, not often produced. In fact, I’ve only seen it twice, once on Broadway in 2017, and once in 2005, again from Village Theatre. B...

There are countless modern retellings of historical events out there, I could name twenty right now, but Unrivaled does it differently, in a fresh way that deserves to be talked about. The co-production from Seattle Public Theater and SIS Productions is running from now until June 2 at Seattle Publi...

an enchanted evening that will be remembered for many decades as an occasion that was memorable in every way...

The biggest challenge of pulling off a show such as Romeo and Juliet is finding new ways to keep the audience interested when we all know what happens. If you’re going to put on a production of a play that has been endlessly adapted, performed, and studied for longer than any of us have been aroun...

Without a doubt the highlight of, and a perfect ending to, the company’s season...

History is often rewritten in a way that is easier to digest, leading to hundreds of years of misinformation and erasure of the struggles of marginalized and persecuted groups. Artfully directed by Steve Sneed, Intiman Theatre has officially opened the world premiere of The Lion Tells His Tale, the ...

At first glance, Dear Readers, Stefano Massini’s “The Lehman Trilogy”, as adapted by Ben Power and currently playing at ACT, may seem like a daunting task. I mean, a 3-and-a-half-hour play (thankfully with two intermissions) about bankers. It doesn’t sound like a rollicking good time. It sou...

If there’s one thing, Dear Readers, that Disney is good at, it’s spectacle. But when you take that spectacle and combine it with one of their most musically magical properties such as “Aladdin”, it should end up with theatrical gold for the whole family. When the genie first poked his head f...

So, did the Rep’s “Fat Ham” crush my soul? Absolutely not and I must entreat anyone reading this, DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!!!...

“The Seasons’ Canon” offers a safe haven for deeply feeling arts lovers to take a safe seat for a couple of hours and experience our powerful and merciful natural world through the medium of dance....

When you go to the theater, Dear Readers, you sit in silence and enjoy the show. You may laugh, or cry, or gasp, but for the most part, you keep yourself to yourself. (At least I hope you do.) But every now and again, shows may ask something of you. Maybe a call back like in “Rocky Horror” or vo...

Dear Readers, warning, I’m about to be a bit of a snob here. I know, big surprise. But I’m not the biggest fan of the musical, “Beetlejuice”, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. I wasn’t a fan when I first heard the cast recording and now having seen it, I can’t say my opinion ha...

You may need to bring your own tissues for this one. Taproot Theatre Company has opened its production of Bill Cain’s play, How to Write a New Book for the Bible. The 4-person cast, artfully directed by Bretteney Beverly, tells the harrowing and heart-wrenching story beautifully. ...

We’ve had a recent spate of the murderous, dark comedies, Dear Reader. First there was “Blood Countess” from MAP Theatre and then the 5th Avenue gave us “Something’s Afoot” and is soon to give us “Clue”. And now Seattle Public Theater has joined in with Jen Silverman’s “The Moors...

Best friends, betrayals, love, and lust - Keiko Green’s new work, The Bed Trick, has it all. Seattle Shakespeare's first new commissioned work is set to be a complete hit. Skillfully directed by Makaela Milburn, the dorm window blinds have opened at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center....

What did our critic think of PLAY/WRITE at Planet M Records? There is much to unpack here in the way of unique sounds, colors and vibrations...

I like to think, Dear Reader, that I don’t need to have the meaning/plot/message of a show spoon fed to me. But sometimes, as with Zora Howard’s “Stew” currently playing at ACT, I could use a bit of clarity. I’m not saying the show was completely confusing, not by a long shot, just a few e...

Pop quiz, Dear Readers. What is the world’s longest running musical? No, it’s not “Phantom”, that’s the longest running Broadway musical. But if we include Off-Broadway we get the longest run of 42 years and 17,162 performances with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s “The Fantasticks”. A...

Dear Readers, I cannot imagine a time when anyone, let alone me, would have a bad time at The Can Can. I honestly am not even certain what that show would look like. They’d need to change up everything they are by having bad and out of shape singers and dancers, performing a lame story and songs, ...

It takes a special group of actors and a stellar production crew to turn a show infamously known as one of Stephen Sondheim's biggest “flops” into a hit. Luckily for Seattle audiences, Reboot Theatre has opened a fresh, spunky, and wildly entertaining production of Anyone Can Whistle. Hilariousl...

Curating a season is not an easy thing, especially for a large, professional theater. You want to strike that delicate balance of diversity, entertainment, cutting edge, and most of all audience appeal. But when the 5th Avenue Theater announced they were doing “Something’s Afoot”, an old show ...

Dear Readers, I want to share with you one of the issues I come up against while writing these reviews. How much of the story to tell you. Especially with shows such as “Sanctuary City” by Martyna Majok, currently playing at the Seattle Rep, I want you to experience it somewhat blind, and let th...

Without doubt a definitive event for Seattle Opera, and worth experiencing in all of its many extraordinary aspects....

How far back can you remember? When you were 10? 5? Do you remember the day you were born? Probably not. That is what makes the subject of D.W. Gregory’s Memoirs of a Forgotten Man so incredible, he can. Thalia’s Umbrella’s productions of the four-person play, masterfully directed by Terry Edw...

Seattle Public Theater is currently hosting the world premiere of Maggie Lee’s play, Once More, Just For You, directed by Amy Poisson. With a three-person cast and a homemade time travel machine, this show could be of particular interest to Seattle’s sci-fi fans. ...