Seattle Theater Reviews

Review: MIKU, AND THE GODS at ArtsWest
by Jay Irwin - June 19, 2022

Metaphor in storytelling is fine. If you need/want to disguise your main themes in a fable, great, but make that fable something interesting. Instead, Julia Izumi’s “miku, and the gods” currently playing at ArtsWest disguises a journey through grief, illness, and loss with an allegory that meander...

BWW Review: BRUCE at The Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - June 12, 2022

Dear Readers, I need to ask you a question. Have you seen the movie “Jaws”? The original and first big summer blockbuster from 1975....

BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Village Theatre
by Jay Irwin - June 11, 2022

I am aware, Dear Readers, that for some the ABBA jukebox musical “Mamma Mia” is not for them. Maybe they aren’t fans of ABBA or maybe they just don’t like fun but whatever the case, I can unabashedly state that I am NOT one of them....

BWW Review: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at The Paramount
by Jay Irwin - June 08, 2022

Dear Readers, we’ve discussed this before. Not every movie needs to be made into a musical....

BWW Review: THE PROM at The 5th Avenue Theatre
by Jay Irwin - June 02, 2022

Dear Readers, as we enter Pride month, I can’t think of a more delightful way to celebrate than having the national tour of the gay romp “The Prom” come to us at the 5th Avenue Theatre....

BWW Review: THE NERD at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - May 23, 2022

Larry Shue’s raucous comedy “The Nerd” was a staple of midrange to small theaters all over back in the 80’s and 90’s. It was zany, smart, and didn’t require too many outlandish elements. So, I was fairly excited to catch this new local production currently being offered at Taproot Theatre, especia...

BWW Review: RIVERWOOD at Langston And Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - May 22, 2022

In a joint production between Langston and Seattle Public Theater, local playwright Andrew Lee Creech brings us the World Premiere of his play “Riverwood”. A play that tackles some seriously tough and topical subjects affecting underdeveloped neighborhoods and people of color and that contains some...

BWW Review: LOLA at The Can Can
by Jay Irwin - May 16, 2022

Dear Readers, I think it’s time for me to come out to you all. I am here to say that I am an out and proud fan of Barry Manilow. Yes, I’m a Fanilow. From “Mandy” to “American Bandstand” to “I Made it Through the Rain”, I love them all. And, of course, there’s the best, “Copacabana”. Now take th...

BWW Review: ALMA at ArtsWest
by Jay Irwin - May 14, 2022

For many, the days following the election of Donald Trump to the White House were harrowing, fraught with uncertainty and angst but especially for undocumented immigrants whose livelihood seemed to be the focal rallying cry of the former President and his base. So, setting a play such as Benjamin B...

BWW Review: AFTERWORDS at The 5th Avenue Theatre
by Jay Irwin - May 12, 2022

Dear Readers, by now you know that one of my major pet peeves for any show is what I call “someone else’s therapy on stage”. Other people’s problems just aren’t interesting, and I don’t need to see you work through them. Such is the first issue of many I have with the new musical “Afterwords”, cur...

BWW Review: SWEAT at ACT
by Jay Irwin - May 11, 2022

Lynn Nottage has swiftly established herself as one of the current darlings of the theater scene. With her Pulitzer Prize for her play “Sweat” currently playing at ACT, as well as her other fantastic recent works such as “Clyde’s” and “Ruined” to name just a few, her vibrant characters beautifully ...

BWW Review: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO at McCaw Hall
by Erica Miner - May 08, 2022

If ever an opera could be described as “easy listening” and flawlessly engaging, Figaro would qualify hands down...

BWW Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Center Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - May 01, 2022

Every once in a while the stars will align, and magic will happen. Magic is exactly what happened on stage last night as Seattle Shakespeare presented MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. From director to cast to staging, everything worked together in perfect unison to not only tell this age old story, but to el...

BWW Review: TWO MILE HOLLOW from Intiman Theatre
by Jay Irwin - April 29, 2022

Dear Readers, if you too are sick of the dysfunctional white family play then you’re not alone. Leah Nanako Winkler, author of “Two Mile Hollow”, currently being offered from Intiman Theatre, has certainly had enough of them. So much so that she wrote her own version of one. And while I appreciat...

BWW Review: SELLING KABUL at The Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - April 28, 2022

The lies we tell ourselves and each other, Dear Readers, and the information we choose to divulge and that which we choose to keep to ourselves, those choices are at the heart of “Selling Kabul”, the current show playing at the Seattle Rep....

BWW Review: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Village Theatre
by Jay Irwin - April 25, 2022

Dear Readers, if you’re going to do a show, any show, you need to have confidence in what you’re putting up on that stage. And while the current production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Village Theatre has a bunch of fun moments, the show as a whole seemed to lack the confidence to go fo...

BWW Review: TIN CAT SHOES from Washington Ensemble Theatre
by Jay Irwin - April 16, 2022

Dear Readers, remember Mad Libs from when we were kids? That little book of puzzles where you would ask for random items from a group in order to fill out a story. And remember how when we got the final result we would laugh and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all? Ever tried to read those agai...

BWW Review: 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL from Showtunes
by Jay Irwin - April 11, 2022

Dear Readers, if you’ve ever been to a Showtunes show, you know the amount of joy and fun that floods off the stage from those insanely talented performers. And their current production of “9 to 5: The Musical” is no exception....

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - April 09, 2022

Jukebox musicals are a mainstay of the American Musical Theater. They have recognizable hit songs built in and instant appeal for fans. But they’re difficult to get right, needing a good book to incorporate the songs into a cohesive story. Even more difficult is the jukebox bio-musical where they...

BWW Review: DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE at Nordo
by Jay Irwin - April 08, 2022

In the past, Dear Readers, when I’ve attended shows at Nordo there’s been a definite story to accompany the fine dinner within the theme of the show. But last night’s sojourn to their latest show, “Down the Rabbit Hole” brought a few changes I wasn’t expecting....

BWW Review: GHOSTS at the Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - April 07, 2022

To say that Henrik Ibsen’s play “Ghosts”, currently playing at the Seattle Rep as translated from the Norwegian by Paul Walsh, is bleak is an understatement to say the least. A play filled with secrets, lies, infidelities, sexual assault, venereal disease, incest, and euthanasia to mention just a f...

BWW Review: MRS. CALIBAN from Book-It Repertory Theatre
by Jay Irwin - March 27, 2022

Dear Readers, I’ve said it before, a good ending of a play can forgive a multitude of sins that came before. But how about a cute beginning of a story that finishes off laying there like a dead fish? Unfortunately, that’s the case with “Mrs. Caliban”, the current offering from Book-It Repertory Th...

BWW Review: THE SPITFIRE GRILL at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - March 26, 2022

Most people associate springtime with hope, a time when things can begin anew. But in Gilead, Wisconsin, the people at the Spitfire Grill look to the majestic beauty of fall colors for their hope. For them the vibrant colors are a reminder that good things come, even when it seems like the chance fo...

BWW Review: THE THIN PLACE at ACT
by Jay Irwin - March 25, 2022

Do you like a good ghost story, Dear Readers? I do. I love it when a creepy tale can make my flesh crawl and jump out of my seat. But there are so few creepy tales on stage. Well, enter Lucas Hnath’s “The Thin Place” currently performing at ACT. Not only is this a truly terrifying tale but it’s...

BWW Review: PIPELINE at Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - March 22, 2022

Dear Readers, if you’re familiar with Dominique Morisseau’s play, “Pipeline”, currently playing at Seattle Public Theater, you know what a striking play it is. Filled with resonant themes and high intensity moments, the show can knock you off your feet. But more than anything, it’s about real peop...