Jay Irwin - Page 27

In Beth Henley's play "Crimes of the Heart", currently playing at Village Theatre, the character of Meg says, "To talk about our lives. It's an important human need." Well an important theatrical need is for the characters in a play to listen to each other and not just wait for their next bit but there was very little listening going on in the show I saw last night and that was just one of the issues that sapped the heart right out the show making this Pulitzer Prize winning play feel more a sitcom.

Power shifts, betrayal, adultery, rape, murder and lots and lots of blood. No it's not the latest Tarantino film but it might as well be as Seattle Shakespeare Company puts up their latest effort, "Titus Andronicus" but with a dark and edgy grindhouse feel. But beyond all the blood there's still some wonderful Shakespeare behind it and some stirring moments from the cast.

As you may know, Dear Readers, I recently criticized another currently running show for having shock for shock sake with not enough narrative. So when I see a title like "The Motherf**ker with the Hat", the current offering from Washington Ensemble Theatre, I get a little worried that I may be in for more of the same. And while the show may have more F bombs than you can shake a hat at and there is a very clear warning of language and nudity posted at the theater, the difference is this play just portrays an honest and real look at the lives of its characters and what results is a funny and heartfelt show where the "shock value" fades into the background in favor of a wonderfully developed and ever evolving story.

In theater, as with any art form, playwrights can walk a fine line between telling a riveting and honest story and saying things simply for shock value. Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize winning play "Disgraced", currently playing at the Seattle Rep, walks that line. And while on the whole this extremely powerful piece opens its audiences up to an examination of who we are at our core, in retrospect I'll admit to feeling a bit manipulated as I recall harsh one-liners piled on top of each other culminating in a crescendo of shock. Effective shock but at times dipping its toe over the line into shock for shock sake and feeling a bit contrived.

Dear Readers, I hope you've all fared well over the holidays and had a good time with your families. It's been a tumultuous year with lots of great theater for us to take in. And so I'm pleased to share with you some of the best things I saw this past year and the ones that I felt worthy of getting my Critic's Choice Awards for 2015. So settle in and allow me to expound on all the amazing I saw over the year. The envelope please.

That unstoppable juggernaut that is 'The Book or Mormon' is back in Seattle and just as deliciously fun as ever. We all know how good the show is. We all know we're going to laugh our butts off at the crass humor while falling in love with the wonderful characters and infectious musical theater gold. So it all really just rests on the cast for this particular tour and let me say, they bring it as usual and even add in a few elements I've not seen in the show before.

In Horton Foote's beautiful play "A Trip to Bountiful" we care about the journey because we care about Carrie and the characters around her. Unfortunately in Morgan Ludlow's new play "Ruth and the Sea", currently playing at Annex Theatre from Pacific Play Company, we have few chances to get to know or like Ruth and her family as we mostly just end up seeing them be bitter and snarky to each other. That coupled with some forced dialog and exposition and clunky story structure, and what amounts is a journey that I wish I hadn't taken.

It's been 200 years since Jane Austen's incorrigible matchmaker "Emma" first came on the scene in print and since has spawned film versions, adaptations and has never been out of print since its release. And while the current adaptation from Book-It Repertory Theatre keeps the mischievousness and attitudes alive, at times if feels a little too static making this romp drone on a bit.

Everyone has their own personal hallmarks that the holiday season has arrived. For some it's catching that favorite movie on TV such as "It's a Wonderful Life" or "The Sound of Music", for others it might be heading downtown to see the lights and carolers. But for me in my own warped and twisted way, the holidays cannot begin until I get to see the latest irreverent collection of insanity from Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt (a.k.a. Dos Fallopia). And while this year's offering of "Ham for the Holidays: Who's Afraid of Virginia Ham?" currently at ACT is a bit light on the holiday themes, it doesn't mean it's at all light on the comedy.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'The Sound of Music' is one of those mainstays of the American Musical Theater canon that has endured over the years. Pretty much anyone with a passing interest in musical theater has seen it in some form whether the Julie Andrews film, countless stage productions or even the recent live broadcast on TV (which I like to pretend never happened). And why has the show endured for over 55 years? Because it's simply a well written show. But the problem I find with most productions (especially that one that didn't exist) is the performers sing the well-written songs well but the character and thus the story is lost. Well that is not the case with the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre which had so much character and story in addition to the beautiful voices that I almost felt like I was seeing the show for the first time.

Dear Readers, for those that may only read the beginnings of my reviews, I must start off this by telling you to stop reading this right now and go get tickets to the new musical "Come From Away" currently at the Seattle Rep. After you have done that you can come back and read the rest of this. I'll wait. Done? OK now that you've done that I can tell you that what you will be seeing is the best musical I've seen all year and possibly ever. At least it will rank in my top 10 of shows that have affected me so much with its sheer brilliant storytelling and heart. This one CANNOT be missed!

As a kid I remember being absolutely thrilled when the stars would align and something wonderful would come on to the afternoon movie like "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" or "The Wizard of Oz" or the magical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". Well that fantasmagorical, fuel burning oracle is back and on stage at Seattle Children's Theatre and it's just as magical as ever. And before you ask, yes, the car flies.

Attention nerds! There's now a theater company in town for us! And I don't mean musical theater nerds or drama nerds but good old fashioned Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerds. Fledgling company The Rogues Gallery has come onto the scene and promises Geek Theater. And their inaugural production, "Shoggoths on the Veldt: A Cthulhu Adventure Comedy" certainly delivers on that promise. But as fun as it was and as much as I long for more geeky fare in general, this production certainly was in need of some tightening, both in pace and in script.

Lerner and Loewe's "My Fair Lady" is one of those enduring classics that when done correctly can amount to a magical evening. But to do it correctly there's a shopping list of elements you must have such as a terrific and upbeat pace, lively and fun choreography, breathtaking costumes and of course a superb cast especially a sweet, strong, and loveable Eliza with the voice that can hit those impossible Julie Andrews notes. Without those elements, really, why bother? Well lucky for us director Brian Yorkey and the folks at Village Theatre seem to have gotten ahold of my shopping list and confidently checked off each item as their current production of the classic amounts in some ways to one of the best I've seen.

The works and style of Bertolt Brecht, such as "Mother Courage and Her Children" currently being offered from Seattle Shakespeare Company, is not for everyone nor is it always easy for the audience. With his distanced and jarring style and bleak narratives, Brecht is not what you would call a fun night at the theater. But even if it's not your thing you should still be able to come away with decent performances. And while there were some outstanding performances in the Seattle Shakes production, on the whole it left me flat.

When I first saw "If/Then" in New York I thought the same thing I think now, "Cute show but it'll never make it without Idina Menzel since the show is basically a vehicle for her." Well, I guess the producers of the tour agreed with me since more than half of the original leads including Menzel are on tour with the show currently at the Paramount Theatre.

New Century Theatre Company, hot off their Gregory Award win for Theatre of the Year, has once again shown why they're one of the best in town with their truly affecting production of "Festen". Where other companies might have put on a passable show, New Century Theatre Company gives a gripping and sometimes disturbing production showing off the insane amounts of talent they have at their disposal.

We've all had demanding bosses over the years. Hell I had a manager who insisted I go around the office and set all the clocks to the exact same time. But what happens when you're working for an actual Diva? Well, Jonathan Tolins' hilarious play "Buyer & Cellar", currently playing at the Seattle Rep, takes that on brilliantly and the Rep production completely shines.

In these turbulent and overly permissive times, we need shows like 'Reefer Madness' to show us the way. The show itself is a wonderful and very funny spoof that when done right can have you laughing more than if you were high on 'the reefer' yourself. Unfortunately the production currently performing at Seattle Musical Theatre is so unfocused and under produced that it couldn't save anyone. In fact I question whether or not they were all high while they were making it.

Let me start by saying, Dear Readers, that "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of my all time favorite shows. In fact I was fortunate enough to see the incredible Encore's version with Ellen Greene back in July. In my opinion, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's show is one of those near perfect musicals. So you'll understand when I say that I'm pretty picky about the show when people attempt to put it up. And that is why I'm thrilled to say that the current production from SecondStory Rep, filled with fantastic voices and tons of fun completely gets how the show needs to be done.