Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 23

BWW Review: Book-It Examines the Birth of an Icon with I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
by Jay Irwin - September 17, 2017

Easily one of the most influential American writers of our time, Maya Angelou beyond being an amazing poet an author was also an outspoken civil rights activist and icon for our age. Book-It Repertory has done honor to this fine woman with their current production of her autobiography I Know Why t...

BWW Review: Village's INTO THE WOODS Has Moments in the Woods but No Connections
by Jay Irwin - September 16, 2017

I'll admit, Dear Readers, that when I saw the cast list for Village Theatre's current production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's classic Into the Woods I was quite excited. It was (and is) quite a list of powerhouse talent and not the usual suspects for a Village show. But Sondheim's show...

BWW Review: Charming Meta Journey with KING OF THE YEES at ACT
by Jay Irwin - September 15, 2017

It's a world we may not know much about, that of old school Chinatown, with their family associations and insider customs. Hell, Lauren Yee grew up in this world and even she seems to be cut off from it and her Father Larry Yee runs the Yee Family Association. But that's the point of her play Kin...

BWW Review: Previously Promised SOMETHING ROTTEN! Finally Comes to 5th Ave - Worth the Wait?
by Jay Irwin - September 14, 2017

Let's set the Way Back Machine to the 2014/2015 season where the 5th Avenue Theatre touted the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical comedy called Something Rotten! . Many musical theater geeks, myself included, were quite excited at the premise of this new tuner but then the theater Gods frowned u...

BWW Review: The Williams Project's BLUES FOR MISTER CHARLIE a Masterpiece
by Amelia Reynolds - September 10, 2017

Stop reading and find time in your schedule for this ridiculously good play at www.williamsproject.org. This show has a short run, and it's pay what you can, so there's no reason why one should not see this play....

BWW Review: Fresh-Faced THE SOUND OF MUSIC at The Paramount : Something Good
by Amelia Reynolds - September 09, 2017

Rogers & Hammerstein's 'The Sound of Music' has been a musical staple for generations. Currently showing at the Paramount, this touring production has all of the snow-capped mountains, starched habits, and vocal prowess one could want. The young and eager cast makes this classic feel fresh....

BWW Review: ArtsWest's THE WHO AND THE WHAT Doesn't Connect with the Who or the What
by Jay Irwin - September 08, 2017

Playwright Ayad Akhtar is one of the darlings of contemporary theater with his Pulitzer Prize winning play "Disgraced" as well as his acclaimed "The Invisible Hand" (my favorite of his) getting production after production around the world. He manages to take on seriously hot button topics and expos...

BWW Review: Sound Theatre Company's GOBLIN MARKET a Feast for the Eyes and Ears
by Amelia Reynolds - August 16, 2017

'Goblin Market' is a macabre fairytale about two women struggling to fight against temptation. Based on the narrative poem by Christina Rossetti, this one-act musical is a world-premiere written by Polly Pen and Peggy Harmon. As a musical production, 'Goblin Market' tells the bulk of the narrative t...

BWW Review: Pony World's Collaborative AMERICAN ARCHIPELAGO is Bizarre, and Works as a Comedy
by Amelia Reynolds - July 30, 2017

Pony World's world premiere 'American Archipelago' is a collaborative examination of American culture and values. Written by Holly Arsenault, Kelleen C. Blanchard, Tre Calhoun, Vincent Delaney, Brendan Healy, Maggie Lee, Sara Porkalob, and Seayoung Yim, 'American Archipelago' feels more like an incu...

BWW Review: CURIOUS INCIDENT at the Paramount – A Brilliant Gut Punch
by Jay Irwin - July 26, 2017

A few years back I had the great fortune of seeing Simon Stephens' brilliant play, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" on Broadway. By intermission I was visibly shaken and by the end I was an emotional mess. But seeing it again last night for its current run at the Paramount Theat...

BWW Review: ACT's Stirring ALEX & ARIS Relies Too Much on Advance Knowledge
by Jay Irwin - July 23, 2017

There are certain shows out there that, while being engaging and performed well, make you feel like you're missing something. Many of the plays of Tom Stoppard are that way for me in that, unless you've taken a master class on that particular subject matter, you may not get the full impact. The Wo...

BWW Review: Café Nordo's SUNDOWN AT THE DEVIL'S HOUSE is Anything But Hellish
by Jay Irwin - July 22, 2017

Don't let this worry you but it's time to summon the Devil. Well that's the conceit of the current show at Cafe Nordo, "Sundown at the Devil's House". And while they may not summon up THE Devil they do summon up some delicious food, hilarious and touching antics and rockin' music making for a devi...

BWW Review: Sound Theatre Company's Unapologetic HOODOO LOVE Doesn't Romanticize
by Amelia Reynolds - July 19, 2017

Sound Theatre Company's 'Hoodoo Love' is an important piece that's neither romantic nor for the faint of heart. In collaboration with The Hansberry Project, the fabric of Katori Hall's depression-era tragedy is original blues music, folk magic, and the dismal realities of being a black woman in 1930...

BWW Review: Taproot's Sweet PERSUASION Brims with Potential
by Jay Irwin - July 15, 2017

There are certain things that spring to mind when thinking of a Jane Austen story. Blistering on again, off again romances. Sweeping emotions. And of course, Colin Firth emerging from a lake. Well the new musical adaptation of Jane Austen's "Persuasion", currently playing at Taproot Theatre, may...

BWW Review: Gripping and Beautiful FUN HOME at the 5th Avenue
by Jay Irwin - July 14, 2017

It's not a revival of an old classic. It doesn't have the cache of a recognizable movie title. And it's got a synopsis that may make some people weary. All of these reasons could be why there were far too many empty seats at last night's opening night of "Fun Home" at the 5th Avenue. And that fa...

BWW Review: MAP Theatre's GREENSWARD Exposes the Cutthroat World of Grass
by Jay Irwin - July 08, 2017

I always hated mowing the lawn as a kid but it was one of the chores with which I was saddled. So, if someone told me they invented a grass that only needed mowing once a year I'd be all over that. But some might not appreciate this new revelation and do anything to stop it. This utterly absurd p...

BWW Review: Intensity and Anger Abounds in Theatre22's DOWNSTAIRS
by Jay Irwin - June 18, 2017

Some plays are light bits of fluff, perfect for an evening's entertainment filled with laughs and warm fuzzy feelings. Others, however, take you to a dark and intense place filled with foreboding and anger and, if you're lucky, some gripping performances. Theatre22 and ACTLab's west coast premiere...

BWW Review: 5th Ave's Cute ROMY AND MICHELE Isn't Lyrical or Catchy
by Jay Irwin - June 17, 2017

Take a silly yet beloved movie that breeds nostalgia in all who love it and turn it into a musical. It's the way of the world of musical theater anymore. Sure, we still get some original pieces but the safe money for producers is on the recognizable name. Sometimes it works and sometimes it crash...

BWW Review: ACT's LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE Struts and Sashay's into Seattle
by Jay Irwin - June 16, 2017

Are you adverse to fun or having a good time? If so, then just stop reading now and move on. If not, keep reading and then get yourself down to ACT to catch "The Legend of Georgia McBride" for some fabulous numbers, fake boobs and hell on heels all wrapped up in a fun and engaging story....

BWW Review: Fantastic.Z's Short Play Series FAMILY Modern and Sweet
by Amelia Reynolds - June 16, 2017

Keeping it brief, since the show only runs through this Saturday, LGBTQ theater group Fantastic.Z has a series of short plays currently performing at The Eclectic Theater called 'Family'. The six-play series has a family motif, each story showcasing modern examples of what it means to be a unit in t...

BWW Review: Tarnished CABARET at Paramount Shows How Good This Classic Can Be
by Jay Irwin - June 14, 2017

The 1998 Sam Mendes staging of Kander and Ebb's classic "Cabaret" has come through the Paramount several times. And why not? It's a great show and a big crowd pleaser. But it requires a cast that gets the show and the tone to be done right. Fortunately for us the current tour at the Paramount is...

BWW Review: New Century's THE REALISTIC JONESES is Clever but Unsatisfying
by Jay Irwin - June 12, 2017

Give me a good old fashioned play with a good old fashioned structure; a beginning, a middle and an end. Or if not, if you insist on a slice of life play, at least have something interesting to say about said life. Instead, what Will Eno's play, "The Realistic Jones", the current offering from New...

BWW Review: Powerful and Biting WELCOME TO BRAGGSVILLE Comes to Book-It
by Jay Irwin - June 11, 2017

In our current society where the issues of race and education are everywhere it's refreshing when a story comes along that still brings up those issues and provokes the conversation but without lecturing. T. Geronimo Johnson's book "Welcome to Braggsville" is such a story with its gripping story an...

BWW Review: ArtsWest's SWEENEY TODD Sounds Good but Inconsistent
by Jay Irwin - June 09, 2017

The Sondheim classic "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is one of those shows that everyone wants to put their own stamp on. It's an incredibly rich show and quite difficult to perform requiring a killer cast (pun intended). There have been concerts, productions where the actors play...

BWW Review: Intiman's BARBECUE Sizzles with Familial and Racial Tension
by Jay Irwin - June 03, 2017

It's going to be very tough, Dear Readers, to tell you about the latest offering from Intiman Theatre, 'Barbecue', as I don't want to give anything away. The show is packed full of twists, turns and misdirections that for me to tell you much would be tantamount to writing up a review of certain mov...