Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS at Benaroya Hall
by Erica Miner - December 25, 2024

Ending on a a fervent note, spurring the audience to go forth and enjoy their holidays in the best way possible: with music in their hearts and minds...

Review: BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - December 11, 2024

Dear Readers, buckle up! Not because we’re about to go 88 mph but because I’m about to be a musical theater snob. The trend of turning popular (or even not so popular) movies into big splashy Broadway musicals is not a new one. And when it works such as with the likes of “Legally Blonde”, “Waitress”...

Review: HAPPY CHRISTMAS, JEEVES at Taproot Theatre
by Shelley Dean - December 10, 2024

With every new year, theatergoers feel the excitement of the holiday-themed work produced around Seattle. They anxiously await retellings of their favorite sentimental stories and new works each year. Every once in a while, a new, fresh take on the holiday season debuts, evoking feelings deep inside...

Review: BLITHE SPIRIT at Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - December 05, 2024

Dear Readers, I do love a good farce. That rollicking romp with oodles of physical comedy and improbable situations. Combine that with a good comedy of manners and it’s gold. What that spells is Noël Coward’s classic “Blithe Spirit” and lucky for us, it’s playing at the Seattle rep. And while there ...

Review: MARY POPPINS at The 5th Avenue Theatre
by Jay Irwin - December 02, 2024

Dear Readers, the magical stage musical of the beloved “Mary Poppins”, currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, may not have been referring to live theater as a whole with their song “Anything Can Happen”, but that sentiment certainly applied to why we love live theater. With its inherent feel o...

Review: A VERY DIE HARD CHRISTMAS at Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - November 23, 2024

Dear Readers, let’s set the way back machine to 2018 when Jeff Schell, The Habit Comedy Troupe, and Mark Siano in conjunction with Seattle Public Theater gifted us that holiday season with “A Very Die Hard Christmas”. Since then we’ve endured political turmoil and a pandemic, but the glory that is “...

Review: MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 1 at Benaroya Hall
by Erica Miner - November 17, 2024

Both monumental works were perfectly matched in their brashness and sensitivity, helmed and rendered with great panache by two outstanding young artists: a program to delight all tastes...

Review: LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL at Village Theatre
by Jay Irwin - November 16, 2024

Dear Readers, if you know my reviews then you know how picky I can be, especially with shows I love. One such show is certainly “Legally Blonde: The Musical”, currently playing at Village Theatre. I managed to see the original cast down in San Francisco and it’s always held a special place in my hea...

Review: WICKED at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - November 08, 2024

Dear Readers, something struck me last night while watching the juggernaut musical “Wicked”, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. No, it wasn’t a flying monkey. It’s just how incredible this show is. It’s withstood the test of time ever since it’s Broadway premiere back in 2003 even though it...

Review: PRIMARY TRUST at The Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - November 07, 2024

Dear Readers, really good storytelling doesn’t need flash and glitz. Sometimes, it just needs a touching story with solid performances. Such is Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Primary Trust” currently playing at the Seattle Rep. A sweet little unassuming story with a lovely arc....

Review: THE POMEGRANATE TREE at Theatre Off Jackson
by Shelley Dean - November 03, 2024

Successful immersive theater is a difficult-to-achieve, yet, extremely sought-after experience. There’s a classic elegance to a completely seated, stationery work of art, and there’s modern excitement that comes with an interactive show. ...

Review: MRS. LOMAN IS LEAVING at ACT
by Jay Irwin - October 18, 2024

Dear Readers, like many, I love a good rollicking backstage comedy. One of those plays within a play where we get to peek behind the stage and check out the antics happening beyond. The classic “Noises Off” for example has always been one of my favorites. Now, along comes this new work from Katie Fo...

Review: THE PARK at Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - October 12, 2024

Dear Readers, I’m all for new works, especially well written new works such as “The Park” by Lisa Every and Jenn Ruzumna, currently performing at Seattle Public Theatre. But as much as I liked the dialog in “The Park” it fell into two of my least favorite traps, a lack of point or reason for the pie...

Review: THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH at The Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - October 03, 2024

Dear Readers, I’m all for a show poking fun at darker, heavier topics. Hell, there’s a comedy on Broadway right now centered around the night President Lincoln was shot. But if you have something funny or poignant to say, make sure it’s not the same bit for two and a half hours such as was the case ...

Review: MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT at Taproot Theatre
by Shelley Dean - September 29, 2024

Friendships are one of the most valuable currencies we experience in our lifetimes. Whether you cherish those friends you've known since kindergarten or have found yourself surrounded by people you've met later in life and can't believe you went so long without, we all know what it's like to feel th...

Review: TCHAIKOVSKY SYMPHONY NO. 4 at Benaroya Hall
by Erica Miner - September 29, 2024

The performance was, in a word, superb...

Review: FUNNY GIRL at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - September 25, 2024

And now we have the tour, currently playing at The Paramount Theatre. And it looks like the producers have learned their lesson with the “stunt casting” and just brought in people who can handle the part, such as Hannah Shankman as the irrepressible Fanny Brice, who is making her debut with the tour...

Review: ABACUS from Red Rover Theatre Company
by Jay Irwin - September 20, 2024

Dear Readers, it looks like we have a new show topic trend hitting us square in our CPU, artificial intelligence and how it’s becoming more and more a part of our world. There’s a new musical about robots falling in love about to start on Broadway. And in the last week I’ve seen two shows in this ve...

Review: THE ADDING MACHINE from The Feast
by Jay Irwin - September 15, 2024

The machines are coming for our livelihoods, Dear Readers. That was the fear a century ago with the 1923 play “The Adding Machine” by Elmer Rice. And that sentiment still holds true today with many terrified of the advancements of Artificial Intelligence or AI. And that’s what this new production “T...

Review: CAMELOT at Village Theatre
by Jay Irwin - September 14, 2024

I’m happy to say that what I witnessed last night is what I like to refer to as theatrical alchemy, when all the parts of a show, cast, set, direction, costumes, etc., all come together to form gold writes BWW critic. ...

Review: POTUS at ACT Theatre
by Jay Irwin - September 13, 2024

Dear Readers, there is nothing like live theater, especially when it all comes together. And even though Selina Fillinger’s hilarious play “POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive”, currently playing at ACT, cannot claim that it ALL came together (especially las...

Review: DAMN YANKEES at Reboot Theatre Company
by Jay Irwin - September 07, 2024

Dear Readers, if you’ve seen a show from Reboot Theatre Company, you know they like to tackle old gems and turn them on their heads with non-traditional casting and perspectives. And just like when companies attempt to transplant Shakespeare or other works into different locales or time periods, som...

Review: COWBOYS WITH QUESTIONS at 12TH AVE ARTS
by Shelley Dean - September 07, 2024

Digesting art that clearly portrays substantial and timely topics, such as the dynamics of power and its abuse, is paramount. From movies, books, and plays, this highly important topic has been in the news and conversation cycle lately. Cowboys With Questions, penned by local playwright Rebecca Tour...

Review: TITANISH at Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - August 24, 2024

Star-crossed lovers, a doomed ship, an iceberg, a gem, and a big damn door. I am, of course, Dear Readers, talking about “Titanic” or rather in this case, the parody from The Habit and Seattle Public Theater, “Titanish”. It’s back for another summer run and once again a must see!...

Review: PETER PAN at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - August 22, 2024

Dear Readers, I’m of two minds in reviewing this revised production of “Peter Pan” currently playing at the Paramount. First as a season ticket holder who came to the show with no kids and wants a quality musical, I question the inclusion of this in the season and find it not all that great, but fro...