Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 17

BWW Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN at the Paramount - You Will Be Found ... Laughing, Cheering, Crying, all the Feelings
by Jay Irwin - January 26, 2019

After a shaky start (sorry to all you folks who got bumped from the Wednesday performance) the 2017 Tony Award winner, "Dear Evan Hansen" is here at the Paramount. Now, I managed to catch this phenomenal show on Broadway when it was still in previews, so I got to see the original cast. The cast I'...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep's LAST OF THE BOYS Delivers an Emotional Gut Punch
by Jay Irwin - January 24, 2019

Steven Dietz is touted as being 'one of America's most successful, prolific living dramatists' (The Seattle Times, 2018) and it's no surprise given his rich, engaging characters, raw, honest dialog, and stories that feel effortless as they slip in the emotional knife before you know it. Such is cer...

BWW Review: Can Can's Sexy European Cabaret BONBON
by Jay Irwin - January 23, 2019

Dear Readers, if you deem to venture into the sultry world of Can Can's newest show, "Bonbon", you may walk away with several feelings. First, you'll probably have a need to hit the gym more because, well, damn! Second, there's the impetus to slink and sashay down the street afterward humming a se...

BWW Review: Strawshop's EVERYBODY Examines Death ... Again and Again and Again
by Jay Irwin - January 23, 2019

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play "Everybody", currently at 12th Ave Arts from Strawberry Theatre Workshop, tells us from the beginning that we're in for a show about death. The House Manager (Justin Huertas) lets us know that this is a story that has been told before, many many times. But what makes "...

BWW Review: Village's I DO! I DO! a Show about Commitment, That Lacks Commitment
by Jay Irwin - January 18, 2019

As a self-proclaimed musical theater geek, I'll admit to some gaps in my geekdom and Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's 1966 musical "I Do! I Do!" falls squarely into that gap. Before going to see the current production at Village Theatre I knew nothing about it. I don't even think I've heard the erra...

BWW Review: ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL at Seattle Shakespeare ticks all the boxes.
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - January 13, 2019

With all the focus dedicated to the language and story, Seattle Shakespeare breaths new life into this old classic while maintaining all its traditions. While current trends rely on new interpretations, new locations, different time periods, this production stays true to the Bard and delivers the go...

BWW Review: WET's Absurdist Political Thriller B Ticks on Too Long Before Exploding
by Jay Irwin - January 12, 2019

Any good play wants to contain a solid beginning, middle, and end. But you know the old adage, give them a strong ending and they'll forgive a lot. But what happens when a one-act, one hour and 35-minute show just has a strong middle? I'll tell you, a lot of me checking my watch near the end and ...

BWW Review: THE LION KING National Tour at Paramount has Drawn the Circle of Life Too Many Times
by Jay Irwin - December 15, 2018

Dear Readers, I'm going to start out by coming clean to a fact that may cause a few gasps. I've never liked "The Lion King". Unlike much of the rest of America I didn't think the movie was that great and I seriously don't care for the stage version. The story is just a watered-down version of "Ha...

BWW Review: MY ANTONIA at Book-It Repertory Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - December 03, 2018

Book-It Repertory Theatre has a winner on its hands. MY ANTONIA sings with triumph as a story we both know by heart and one we long to hear. It deftly deals with the issues of love and loss, class divide, and immigration. Whether a century ago or current day, the story of My Antonia is remarkable fo...

BWW Review: A VERY DIE HARD CHRISTMAS at Seattle Public Theater - Come Out to the Bathhouse, Have a Few Laughs
by Jay Irwin - December 02, 2018

Dear Readers, I need you to stop what you're doing right now (including reading this review) and go to www.seattlepublictheater.com and get your tickets to the most ridiculous fun you'll have this holiday season, 'A Very Die Hard Christmas'. Seriously tickets are going fast so do it now and then co...

BWW Review: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at SMT Filled with Talent ... When it Gets Through
by Jay Irwin - December 02, 2018

Seattle Musical Theatre has taken on Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for the holidays, that bright and frothy, crowd-pleaser of a tuner. And while for this production they've managed to gather up some stellar talent, that talent sometimes has a hard...

BWW Review: Leapin' Lizards, The 5th Ave's ANNIE is a Heartfelt Joyride!
by Jay Irwin - December 01, 2018

You may say, Dear Readers, that it's impossible to have a bad production of the Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin classic "Annie". Throw some precocious kids on stage, belt out those recognizable tunes and you're gold. Well, I beg to differ as I've seen my share of "Annie" product...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep's IN THE HEIGHTS Will Bring You Home
by Jay Irwin - November 30, 2018

Before there was "Hamilton" there was "In the Heights". I know I'm a nerd, but it floors me how many people don't know that. Most theater aficionados know of "Hamilton" and by extension of Lin-Manuel Miranda but have a blind spot for "In the Heights" the Tony winning show that put Miranda on the m...

BWW Review: MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - November 24, 2018

Taproot Theatre's production of MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY offers a holiday diversion of wit, charm, and heart. Mary Bennet, the middle sister, steps from the shadows to take command of her own story. With a gathering of family and a visit from a distant cousin, the recipe is ripe for misun...

BWW Review: JANE EYRE at Arts West
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - November 20, 2018

ArtsWest gives new life to an old story with its production of JANE EYRE. The musical is presented in an updated chamber version in its West Coast premier. The story is a classic. The lessons of following your heart and forgiveness are universal. But above it all is the music. The glorious music wil...

BWW Review: Village's MATILDA Big on Talent and Charm but Short on Magic and Flow
by Jay Irwin - November 09, 2018

A few years ago, Dear Readers, Seattle audiences were treated to the tour of Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin's lovely musical version of Roald Dahl's "Matilda". A clever little tuner that managed to go beyond simply adding songs to a beloved book and find the heart of the story. Unfortunately, the co...

BWW Review: PARLIAMENT SQUARE at Pony World Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - November 03, 2018

PARLIAMENT SQUARE by Pony World Theatre pulls at your heart and gut but leaves your intellect unengaged. The show is a feast of tension, activism, and drama with a side of emotional manipulation. The story falls to match the actors or design in terms of inspiration and fizzles from lack of specifici...

BWW Review: Seattle Children's Theatre Amps Up the Awww Factor with THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
by Jay Irwin - November 03, 2018

We all have those special toys that became real to us as children. I still have my old teddy bear (who's older than I am) who sits in a place of honor in my living room. This is probably why Margery Williams' classic story "The Velveteen Rabbit" resonated with so many of us. I know it did for me....

BWW Review: ARMS & THE MAN at Seattle Shakespeare
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - October 31, 2018

Seattle Shakespeare's ARMS & THE MAN visits the past and finds the present. With wit, humor, and richness of production, the show presents a classic tale of a chance encounter that changes everything. From the pithy dialogue to the talented cast, Seattle Shakespeare has chosen well for its second sh...

BWW Review: The Williams Project's A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY - When Will We Learn?
by Jay Irwin - October 29, 2018

Dear Readers, today I want to talk to you about one of the most exciting companies in town and their latest show, The Williams Project's 'A Bright Room Called Day' by Tony Kushner. Specifically, I want to focus on three aspects of why they and their current show are so exciting and by the end I exp...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep Examines Raw America with Mike Daisey's A PEOPLE'S HISTORY
by Jay Irwin - October 25, 2018

Welcome class, I'm going to need you to put your phones away and open your minds to learn about the history of our country. No, I mean REALLY open your minds to learn about the REAL history of our country … and then some. It won't be an easy night for some but what Mike Daisey puts forth with his ...

BWW Review: Paramount Gets You ON YOUR FEET! with Gloria and Emilio Estefan
by Jay Irwin - October 24, 2018

Who hasn't danced around their home to the fabulous tunes of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine knowing that the 'Rhythm is Gonna Get You'? I know I have. (Don't judge.) And really if you too have any kind of affinity for their hot Latin rhythms then their bio-musical 'On Your Feet!', cur...

BWW Review: Can Can's THIS IS HALLOWEEN Gives a Bawdy Take on a Beloved Spooky Classic
by Jay Irwin - October 22, 2018

I know I could get lynched for stating this out loud, but I was never that much of a fan of the original film "The Nightmare Before Christmas". I appreciate the cute story and the animation but being a musical theater snob, the songs in it just don't do it for me. But now, after seeing Can Can's b...

BWW Review: Lesser Known Players' CASA VALENTINA Feels Tentative at Best
by Jay Irwin - October 21, 2018

One of our best living playwrights, in my opinion, is Mr. Harvey Fierstein. With his rich, vibrant characters and crackling dialog, he never ceases to surprise with his works and his raw honest approach to storytelling. Well back in 2014 he came out with a new piece, "Casa Valentina", and I was lu...

BWW Review: ACT Negotiates a Stunningly Solid Piece with OSLO
by Jay Irwin - October 19, 2018

In 1993 a few Norwegian politicians managed the impossible, to get the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a peace. What sounds even more impossible is that they all kept it secret. Now this may not sound like the riveting topic for a three-hour play but what J.T. Rogers' 'Oslo', currently play...