Jay Irwin - Page 58

Why go see the Paramount's production of 'Frost/Nixon' when the movie version just came out on DVD this week? Because it's LIVE theater and in this live theater production you can practically feel the tension emanating from Stacy Keach's amazing performance.

The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of 'Sunday in the Park with George' proved what it says, 'art isn't easy', mostly since they never quite achieved 'art'. The production lacks the heart of the story that it so needs.

Jeffrey Hatcher's intriguing new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of duality, 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' brings a wonderful tone of the creepy to Seattle's ACT.

The touring production of '3 Redneck Tenors' played the Temple Theater in Tacoma for one night and it was one night too many.

Kevin Kling's latest collection of stories from his life, 'Breakin' Hearts & Takin' Names', playing at the Seattle Rep, is less and evening of theater and more an evening with an old friend who has great stories to tell.

Carrie Fisher's one woman show, 'Wishful Drinking', certainly comes through with the laughs. But at times, her in your face performance proved to be a little too much for some.

The Intiman's 90 minute adaptation of Dostoyevsky's classic suspense tale, 'Crime and Punishment' is as thought provoking as it is fresh and original. Portrayed by only 3 actors, this morality tale adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus at times feels more like film noir than a novel from 1866.

The hilarious spoof on the fictional Christian boy band, 'Altar Boyz' is heading to the Pantages Theater in Tacoma and pray you don?t miss it.

The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of 'Hello, Dolly', while holding onto the charm of the show, at times felt like it was marching through Jello. Starring the always wonderful Jenifer Lewis, the show was, on the whole, enjoyable, but really seemed like it could have used another week of rehearsals.

The Seattle Rep's production of Conor McPherson's Tony Nominated play, 'The Seafarer' only goes to show that the Rep is up there with the best of them and can produce the goods.

Harold Pinter's play about an extra marital affair at the Rep doesn't always shine but Pinter is still always engaging. The show tells the story of a young British couple in the 1970's and their illicit affair told from beginning to end. Or rather, the play in this case is told from end to beginning.

With the massive influx of musicals based on movies (or even worse, TV shows) lately such as 'Young Frankenstein', 'Shrek', 'Legally Blonde' and the upcoming '9 to 5', 'Catch Me If You Can' and 'Spider Man', one might think that the original American Musical is dead (or at least on life support). But let's look at some other recent additions, 'In the Heights', 'Wicked', and 'Spelling Bee'. These shows have proven to be wildly successful and give us all hope that we won't be reduced to 'Speed - The Musical'. And the show I witnessed last night gives me even more hope in that regard, 'Memphis'.