Jay Irwin - Page 8

While viewing the opening night of Seattle Shakespeare Company's production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's a?oeThe Rivalsa??, one old adage kept springing to mind. a?oeThrow it against the wall and see if it sticks.a?? Well, aside from a few standout performances, not much stuck. But that wasn't from lack of trying as director George Mount seemed to throw everything but the kitchen sink at that wall whether it fit within the play or not.

Oh my! What a year! We've seen bad-ass gospel singers, lost Jewish plays, mythical towns of excretion and even an octopus wrestler or two. No, those aren't allusions to the crazy theater going on in Washington D.C. but the crazy wonderful theater going on right here in the Seattle area. It was tough coming up with just one winner (or even just a few Honorable Mentions) but I managed to do it a?? for the most part. Plus, some shows that more of you should have seen. (Yes, that's me nagging you all, Dear Readers, to check out more of the smaller or obscure theaters around here.) But what it all comes down to is, we're blessed here in the Northwest with an over-abundance of theatrical riches and I'm so fortunate to be able to share some of my favorites of the year with you with the BWW 2019 Seattle Critic's Choice Awards (Jay's Picks). So, let's get started, shall we?

a?oeSummer, The Donna Summer Musicala?? opened last night, New Year's Eve, at the Paramount like a shiny ball descending on Seattle signifying the new year. But just like the ball dropping and switching from one year to the next, it amounted to very little other than a reason to party. With a book that feels like a story conveyed by a 6-year-old with severe ADHD and staging so bad that it actually made me laugh out loud at one point, this flashy tale of the life of a Disco Diva, filled with mirror balls, strobe lights, and even a car chase on stage, falls squarely into the realm of a?oewhat were they thinking?!a??

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, sugar plums dancing in your head, and candy canes intertwined. These are some images that spring to mind when you think of the holiday season. Now what if those were euphemistic chestnuts, sugar plums, and candy canes and they were all naked and singing? Do I have your attention now? Because those naughty elves at the Can Can are back with their 6th installment of their ribald holiday extravaganza a?oeWonderlanda?? and if this doesn't fill up your stocking, nothing will.

There was no one like Robin Williams. Let's just state that right now. And when you think of Robin Williams, many gravitate towards his 1993 comedy smash a?oeMrs. Doubtfirea?? where he created an enduring, iconic character as a divorced father who posed as a female nanny in order to remain in the lives of his kids. No one can deny the brilliance of that performance and I will fight anyone who wants to try. Well, now we have a new musical version of a?oeMrs. Doubtfirea?? heading to Broadway and currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre. And while I recognize the impetus of putting Euphegenia Doubtfire up on stage, I also had serious anxiety over it. Would it just be a rehash of the same jokes? Would the music be any good? And would anyone be able to match the brilliance of Williams in the role? Well, after last night I can answer those questions with yes, but well handled, yes, to an extent, and YES, give that man a Tony. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's break it down into the three components of the show; the music, the heart, and the comedy.

Becky-June Beasley-Jones (played by the irreverent Butch Alice), the Jessica Fletcher of Café Nordo, a young girl who can't help but stumble into murder after murder (so much so that I'm not certain she's not perpetrating them) has returned to rock your holidays with a?oeThe Christmas Killings at Corgi Cliffsa??. In the latest crazed mystery from Scot Augustson and directed by Jasmine Joshua, Becky-June is on hand to find the killer and tickle your funny bone. And she does quite well, but this particular mystery felt a bit convoluted and long.

First off, Dear Readers, let me emphasize that the Harry Potter Plays, a?oeHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2a?? are NOT here in Seattle. And, personally I doubt they ever will be considering the amount of technical wizardry needed to pull it off. They'd have to practically remodel the theaters here in order to give it as much of an immersive and spectacular feel as it has in New York or London a?? or now, in SAN FRANCISCO at the Curran Theater. Yes, I wanted to alert you all to the fact that this amazing show is now on the West Coast as well, so it's not as much of a trek to go see it, and see it you should. But is it as magical as the one in New York? Well, that's what we're here to discuss. Hopefully without giving too much away.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's we witnessed the rise of theatrical shows that were all about making music and dance with everyday items and not so much about story. There was a?oeThe Blue Man Groupa??, a?oeTap Dogsa?? and of course the mega-hit a?oeStompa??. I will admit that in my youth, as a fledgling theatre geek, I was a complete disciple of the trash can lid and all things a?oeStompa??. In fact, I even had (and still do have) an autographed trash can lid that was used in the show. Since then the show has continued to amble around the world and now some 20 plus years later it's made its way back to Seattle to the Moore Theatre. And the question I had when going to see it, a?oecould it still hold that special place in my heart?a?? The answer a?? kinda.

Back in 2017, Dear Readers, Book-It Repertory Theatre brought us the highly anticipated musical adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones beloved book, 'Howl's Moving Castle', adapted by Myra Platt with music and lyrics from Justin Huertas. The show was certainly a charmer but, personally, I found the storytelling confusing and muddled. Platt and Huertas have now remounted the piece with some welcome additions. Still a few confusing bits and superfluous elements but this new adaptation brings so much more of the story to life making the evening of fantasy even more charming.

Back in 2018, a little show came along to Broadway called a?oeHead Over Heelsa??. All I knew was that it was the story of Sir Philip Sydney's a?oeArcadiaa?? with the songs of the 80's pop group, The Go-Go's. OK, another jukebox musical, we'll see. Then I went to NY and it didn't quite make the list of shows I was seeing. But after I found out more about it, like it was touting having the first trans woman originating a principal role on Broadway. Cool. Maybe I'll see it next time. And then it closed. Well, now ArtsWest has picked it up for its Seattle Premiere and I find that the show itself also speaks to homosexuality and gender identities beyond the binary, but not in a documentary or preachy way. Plus, it's a ton of fun. All of which makes me kick myself for not seeing it when I had the chance. But it's here now and ArtsWest nails it!

John Kander and Fred Ebb's a?oeCabareta?? is a bit of a perplexing show for me. Perplexing in that it's done quite often, and it shouldn't be. It should only be done if you can do justice to the story. With a book by Joe Masteroff and based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood, the themes in the play are complex and dark with a bite underlying the sweetness and fun. And when combined with Kander and Ebb's songs which tell stories all on their own, the show has promise to be a gut punch. Unfortunately, the current production from the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, while having some wonderful voices, continually misses the mark on the story making the show an uneven revue of fun numbers but no depth.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Have you heard of her? Maybe not (I know I hadn't before last night). But even if you're unfamiliar with her, you're more than likely familiar with one of the many artists she's influenced. Artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Little Richard to name just a few. But that's kind of the point of the show, a?oeShout Sister Shout!a??, currently playing at the Seattle Rep. A show that tells the story of the a?oeGodmother of Rock n' Rolla??, and how we need to recognize these artists that have been whitewashed and mansplained from history. But even beyond that, you want to catch this for the insanely powerful performance of Carrie Compere as Tharpe, who will have you rockin' in your seat as she tears the roof off the Rep.

There's a reason that Frank Loesser's a?oeGuys & Dollsa?? has endured all these years and keeps coming back, it's a near perfect musical. It's fun and frothy with that rare breed of songs that all move the story along and tell a story of their own. But with these songs, and because of them, you need a love story that reads true, connections with everyone on stage, and storytelling in the staging and choreography as well as in the dialog and lyrics. And while the current production at Village Theatre has some numbers that worked and some wonderful performers, it lacked those three elements making the show a nice collection of performances with no spark or cohesion.

Dear Readers, I've been a fan of a?oeMiss Saigona?? for years now, ever since it first came out back in 1991. I've seen tours, local productions, revivals on Broadway, and even a one-man interpretation that needs to find new life somewhere. So, I know what I'm looking for in any production; amazing voices and a heart wrenching, tear inducing love story. The current production at the Paramount has the voices but lacked the honesty and realism that would satisfy the love story.

The Granddaddy of horror icons has descended upon Seattle and he's just as romantically malevolent as you might want him to be. ACT has brought us Steven Dietz's retooled adaptation of Bram Stoker's a?oeDraculaa?? and this classic tale of the original bloodlust is just what you need for your Spooky Halloween season.

We all know that person, be it friend or co-worker or maybe you ARE that person, who's just a little too PC and a bit too a?oewokea??. They're the first one's to jump on your when you're being culturally insensitive as they see it as their duty to make the world as a?oewokea?? as them. Well now with Larissa Fasthorse's a?oeThe Thanksgiving Playa?? currently being offered from Seattle Public Theater, we can finally laugh in that person's face. Or if you are that person, maybe you can find some moments to laugh at yourself.

Most people are familiar with Jane Austen's a?oePride and Prejudicea??. Whether it's from the book, the mini-series, the movies (even the zombie one), or just from general pop culture, most people know the story. So, turning this into a musical is a bit risky especially with so many Austen-philes out there. But writers Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs, have pulled it off (to an extent) with their new musical a?oeAusten's Pridea??, currently at the 5th Avenue Theatre, and have even tripled the daunting task by making the melodies soar while fitting in the period, combining it with a story of Austen herself, and still retaining the charm and heart of a?oePride and Prejudicea?? along the way.

'They're coming to get you, Barbara!' Yes, you'll definitely hear the iconic line in Weasel Productions inaugural show, 'Night of the Living Dead, LIVE!' Based on George A. Romero's classic zombie film, this parody has everything you'd expect including a delightfully monochrome feel. Unfortunately, the production from this fledgling company also suffers from pacing issues making it drag at times and thus lose its comedy edge.

If you're going to put up an autobiographical play, then you need at least one of two things. You either need a life, or a moment in your life, in which something extraordinary happened, or you need to have moments that amount to a message or meaning that is not widely known by your audience. The Seattle Rep's world premiere of Anna Ziegler's a?oeThe Great Momenta?? has neither of these things. Instead, it amounts to one of my theatrical pet peeves, someone else's therapy on stage.

On the surface, Craig Wright's a?oeThe Paviliona??, currently being offered from Strawberry Theatre Workshop, doesn't have all that much going for it. It's not a particularly enticing or thought provoking subject, a couple reconnecting at a reunion. But what it does have going for it is a cast of three performers, throwing their considerable talents into the roles, and that's what engages about this show more than anything.