Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 12

BWW Review: CLUB SANDWICH with The Flying Karamazov Brothers is a Delightful Hot Mess
by Jay Irwin - September 20, 2019

Really bad puns, noir-ish intrigue and juggling; what more do you need for an evening's entertainment? Well you're in luck, as the Northwest's celebrated comedy juggling troupe, The Flying Karamazov Brothers is back reviving their noir thriller a?oeClub Sandwicha?? at the Broadway Performance Hall....

BWW Review: EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED at Book-It Repertory Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - September 16, 2019

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is packed to bursting with stories, journeys, memories, and realizations. The show occurs in three different time periods and slowly reveals how two families were shaped by historical events. The show explores how family histories both known and unknown can shape our own se...

BWW Review: The Beauty Is LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA from Showtunes
by Jay Irwin - September 16, 2019

Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel's soaring romantic and tragic musical a?oeLight in the Piazzaa?? is not often tackled a?? thank the theater Gods. I'm not saying it's bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that I'd hate to see every small company, without the resources to handle it well, take...

BWW Review: Village's SPELLING BEE is a M-U-S-T S-E-E!
by Jay Irwin - September 14, 2019

Dear Readers, let's set the way-back machine to May of 2005 when a musical theater geek got to take his first trip to New York and see his first Broadway shows on Broadway. He sat there in Circle in the Square and marveled at a new William Finn show called a?oeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling...

BWW Review: ACT's PEOPLE OF THE BOOK is Filled with Delicious Surprises
by Jay Irwin - September 13, 2019

If you're an aficionado of theater here in Seattle, then you've probably heard of Yussef El Guindi or at least seen one of his plays. An ACT 2018 core member, this prolific writer has had numerous plays around Seattle and beyond. And when reading the synopsis of his current piece making its World ...

BWW Review: The Kochs Bring Down the Triple Door with THE CARPETERS
by Jay Irwin - September 10, 2019

Washington DC may have the Koch brothers, but we have a Koch brother and sister, specifically David and Lisa Koch. Two of the funniest humans out there, they've brought their delicious satire to Seattle and abroad for years. In fact, 20 years ago their 70's pop duo parody a?oeThe Carpetersa?? were...

BWW Review: Washington Ensemble Theatre's IS GOD IS Gives the Bloody Brutal Without the Context
by Jay Irwin - September 08, 2019

Context is Key. Without context, your message can be completely lost. Such has happened with Washington Ensemble Theatre and their season opener, Aleshea Harris' a?oeIs God Isa??. If you look up information on the show or even read the promotional material put out by the theater, the show a?oeIns...

BWW Review: BULRUSHER from Intiman Fails to Engage
by Jay Irwin - August 24, 2019

Eighty percent of having a successful show is casting. If you have the right cast, even the dullest show can shine. However, that means the opposite is also true. You can have a good play, such as Eisa Davis' a?oeBulrushera??, currently being offered from Intiman Theatre, but if the cast isn't th...

BWW Review: The William's Project's TIME OF YOUR LIFE Goes a Step Beyond
by Jay Irwin - August 18, 2019

Dear Readers, you've often heard me extoll the prowess and brilliance of The Williams Project. Just last week I raved about how dedicated and tight their ensemble was when presenting the other show they have running in repertory, a?oeSmall Craft Warningsa??. But now that insanely talented ensemble...

BWW Review: Seattle Public's INDY JONES Spotlights the Raiders of a Lost Art
by Jay Irwin - August 16, 2019

Dear Readers, remember way back in December when the crazy minds of The Habit showed up at Seattle Public Theater with one of the most hysterical parodies ever, a?oeA Very Die Hard Xmasa??? Well I'm thrilled to tell you that they're back, this time tackling the a?oeRaiders of the Lost Arka?? movies...

BWW Review: PEELING at Sound Theatre Company
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - August 10, 2019

PEELING by Kaite O'Reilly is a deep look into the lives of disabled actors and the issues they face both on and off stage. The three-actor show is a play within the play as we see the actors both in their staged performances and in their interactions between scenes. The show begins with one actor mi...

BWW Review: Williams Project's SMALL CRAFT WARNINGS Doesn't Shy Away from Those Deep Cuts
by Jay Irwin - August 09, 2019

The Williams Project, that small theater company that burst onto the Seattle theater scene in 2014 with their incredible a?oeOrpheus Descendinga?? is back with the first of two shows within their a?oeBar Playsa?? series. This time it's Tennessee Williams' a?oeSmall Craft Warningsa?? and with this, ...

BWW Review: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at the Paramount Brims with Pure Imagination
by Jay Irwin - August 01, 2019

If you're like me, Dear Readers, you grew up with that indelible classic film, a?oeWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factorya?? starring the amazing Gene Wilder (and hopefully not that abomination with Johnny Depp). Or maybe you found yourself getting lost in the pages of the Roald Dahl novel, a?oeChar...

BWW Review: ACT's THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING Gives an Open and Honest Look at Grief
by Jay Irwin - July 26, 2019

a?oeThis will happen to you.a?? That's one of the opening sentiments of Joan Didion's a?oeThe Year of Magical Thinkinga??, currently playing at ACT. a?oeThis will happen to you.a?? She's referring, of course, to the fact that everyone, sometime in their life, will have to deal with the death of a...

BWW Review: Intiman's THE EVENTS - A Powerful Piece, Interrupted
by Jay Irwin - July 20, 2019

Whenever I see a play, Dear Readers, I want that play to just tell me a story. I want it to flow nicely, build at a steady pace, and have a good payoff. I don't necessarily need the trappings of superfluous gimmickry. If the added bits lend themselves to the piece or the story, that's great, but ...

BWW Review: Sound Theatre's Searing Look at Racial Inequality in America with CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC
by Jay Irwin - July 14, 2019

Sound Theatre Company, with their season theme of "Un-Erasable" focusing on diversity and "hyper invisibility" of some in America, have started off their season with a stunning piece, "Citizen: An American Lyric" based on the poetry of Claudia Rankine and adapted for the stage by Stephen Sachs. But...

BWW Review: Taproot Presents BRIGHT STAR, The Musical that Would Have Been Better as a Play
by Jay Irwin - July 13, 2019

Edie Brickell and Steve Martin's 'Bight Star', currently playing at Taproot Theatre, has a lovely and heartbreaking story, but is a musical that suffers from two things. First, it can never quite come to terms with which era it's in, and second (and most importantly) it's a musical that doesn't hav...

BWW Review: ArtsWest's THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION and the Promise of Greatness
by Jay Irwin - June 24, 2019

Back in 2015, the Seattle theater scene was abuzz with a brand-new musical premiering at the Seattle Rep from local wunderkind Justin Huertas called 'Lizard Boy'. I even remember seeing a workshop of it in 2013. Since then the Lizard has gone on to perform all over, including San Diego and New Yor...

BWW Review: Saddle Up and Come to Can Can's EL DORADO
by Jay Irwin - June 22, 2019

The folks at the Can Can are back and ready to knock your spurs off in an all new, decidedly Western style show with "The Legend of El Dorado" and once again they've upped their game. First, they brought us sexy ass dancers and comedy to bust a gut over, then they brought in fabulous singers, recen...

BWW Review: BEHOLD THE DREAMERS from Book-It Left Me Wanting
by Jay Irwin - June 15, 2019

Finish strong and they'll forgive a multitude of sins. This old adage of the theater rings truer than ever in this TV-binging, short attention span world in which we live. Unfortunately, the folks at Book-It Repertory Theatre didn't take that into account with their current production of "Behold t...

BWW Review: Get Green! WICKED at the Paramount is Still Luminous!
by Jay Irwin - June 14, 2019

Well before that founding father refused to throw away his shot, even before those Mormons made us giggle with their irreverence, the hot ticket in town was "Wicked". Well, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's witches have returned to the Emerald City and the bloom is still quite firmly attached t...

BWW Review: BOY from Fantastic.Z Falls Flat from Little Connection
by Jay Irwin - June 11, 2019

Anna Ziegler's play 'Boy' gives an unflinching look at gender identity. I was fortunate enough to see it's Off-Broadway premiere back in 2016 and found it quite moving and engaging. But it's a tough one to get into and requires some top-notch performances to grab the audience as it's all talk. I ...

BWW Review: Café Nordo's THE CHAMPAGNE WIDOW is a Bubbly Good Time
by Jay Irwin - June 09, 2019

Cafe Nordo has come to be known in town for their sumptuous meals and fun, frothy and fascinating shows but this time they've outdone themselves with "The Champagne Widow". With a book by Opal Peachey and Music by Annastasia Workman and Lyrics by Peachey, Workman as well as director Billie Wildrick...

BWW Review: 5th Ave's WEST SIDE STORY Looks Pretty but Fizzles as a Love Story
by Jay Irwin - June 08, 2019

I used to hate Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim's "West Side Story". My only exposure was the movie and I found the story flat and unconvincing. I mean, an entire song just repeating her name? Geeze, learn how to write a lyric. But then a touring production came through t...

BWW Review: PASS OVER at ACT Gives a Visceral Look at Racial Injustice
by Jay Irwin - June 07, 2019

Dear Readers, back in 2011 I was fortunate enough to see a play entitled "The Brothers Size" at a local theater. It was an evening that shook me to my core theatrically. I mention this, not to compare it with Antoinette Nwandu's "Pass Over", currently being offered at ACT, but to explain that not ...