Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 14

BWW Review: You'll Go 'Crazy' and 'Fall to Pieces' over ALWAYS... PATSY CLINE at Taproot
by Jay Irwin - March 16, 2019

Dear Readers, as I'm sure you're aware, we are blessed with an abundance of riches here in Seattle with the local talent who grace our stages, if you know where to look. Well, currently the treasure map leads right over to Taproot Theatre and X marks the spot on the Isaac Studio Theatre where they ...

BWW Review: Village's THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is Curiously Inconsistent
by Jay Irwin - March 15, 2019

K.I.S.S. It's the best advice you can give anyone in acronym form; meaning, Keep It Simple Stupid, and it's the mantra that the folks at Village Theatre should have taken to heart when attempting to stage Simon Stephens' brilliant play, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'. Now, you...

BWW Review: MAP Theatre Releases the Beast with TREVOR
by Jay Irwin - March 10, 2019

When the basis of your play, such as Nick Jones' "Trevor" currently being offered from MAP Theatre, is a real-life story, the gist of which could probably fill up a report on the news and was probably germinated from there, the journey to get to that inevitable conclusion is everything. And while s...

BWW Review: CAUGHT at Intiman Theatre Will Catch You Off Guard
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - March 09, 2019

CAUGHT presented by Intiman Theatre will catch you off guard and make swiss cheese of all your theories of what is art and what is theater. Christopher Chen's play combines visual art and theater into a playground of ideas. What is truth, your perception, and intention are all challenged with though...

BWW Review: ACT's Near Perfect ROMEO + JULIET is the One We've Been Waiting For
by Jay Irwin - March 09, 2019

Over the years, Dear Readers, I've seen many productions of Shakespeare's oft-produced tragedy 'Romeo + Juliet'. So many productions from so many levels of professionalism with so many different takes on how to tell the story. And to be honest, only one of them even came close to bringing the stor...

BWW Review: THE WOMAN IN BLACK at the Seattle Rep Will Send a Chill Up Your Spine
by Jay Irwin - February 28, 2019

Are you in the mood for a good scare? A creepy tale that will stay with you all the way home and make you turn on every light once you get there. No? Then you'd better stay away from the Seattle Rep and their current production of "The Woman in Black" on tour from London. Sure, this production h...

BWW Review: THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE at Seattle Children's Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - February 28, 2019

Seattle Children's Theatre brings another classic book to life in their production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The book by Kate DiCamillo tells the story of a china rabbit that is given as a gift to a young girl, Abilene, by her grandmother. The girl adores the rabbit and names him E...

BWW Review: Book-it's Raw Look at Opioid Addiction in AMERICAN JUNKIE
by Jay Irwin - February 19, 2019

With any luck most of us will bypass any connection to opioid or heroin addiction. I know going into Book-It Repertory Theatre's current production of Tom Hansen's "American Junkie", I knew nothing of that world except what you might catch on TV. But what this gritty memoir and gripping performanc...

BWW Review: Seattle Musical Theatre's Awesome AIDA is Their Strongest Suit!
by Jay Irwin - February 17, 2019

Before any theater company even considers attempting Elton John and Tim Rice's rock musical "Aida", they need to have, at the very least, four things in place. An awesome band to back up the amazing ensemble. A dashing Radames and a larger than life Amneris, both with fantastic pipes of their own,...

BWW Review: Theatre9/12's UNCLE VANYA Just Doesn't Click
by Jay Irwin - February 16, 2019

Yes, Dear Readers, it's "Uncle Vanya" … again. Now, don't get confused. I know I just reviewed this a few weeks ago but this is a different production. This is Theatre9/12, those plucky actors who pour over scene work week after week until they come up with a full play they'd like to present, thi...

BWW Review: Bang Your Head While Laughing at 5th Ave's ROCK OF AGES
by Jay Irwin - February 09, 2019

The idea of stunt casting, the practice of taking a big name and putting them in a role just to get butts in seats, has always terrified me. And I've seen it result anywhere from the sublime such as Neil Patrick Harris killing it as "Hedwig" to the shudder inducing Molly Ringwald completely out of ...

BWW Review: The Seagull Project's Dark and Moody UNCLE VANYA
by Jay Irwin - February 03, 2019

OK, so putting up a dark and moody production of Anton Chekhov's 'Uncle Vanya' may sound redundant but remember, this is The Seagull Project. They've spent the last eight years killing it with all things Chekhov and now with the completion of the main plays, the dark and moody tone isn't so much th...

BWW Review: Annex's THE DEVIL AND SARAH BLACKWATER Lacks Focus, Storytelling, and Harmony
by Jay Irwin - February 03, 2019

If you're going to put up a new musical, such as Annex Theatre's current world premiere 'The Devil and Sarah Blackwater' you need a few things on board. First, an editor, to make sure that the show and the story is as tight and clear as you can make it. And second, a music director to present the ...

BWW Review: Seattle Public's World Premiere FIRE SEASON Crackles with Honest Vulnerability
by Jay Irwin - January 28, 2019

Seattle Public Theater is currently offering a play you've probably never heard of, "Fire Season". And you've never heard of "Fire Season" because it's a World Premiere having been written by author Aurin Squire under the auspices of having won the inaugural Emerald Prize, Seattle Public Theater's ...

BWW Review: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - January 28, 2019

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at Taproot Theater is what Aunt Abby would call a 'fine howdy doo.' This production proves why Joseph Kesselring's play is considered a classic. The play contains not only great humor but also smarts. The talented cast has a great rapport and will take you on an adventurous ride...

BWW Review: ArtsWest's M BUTTERFLY - A Story of Passion and Intrigue Without the Passion or Intrigue
by Jay Irwin - January 27, 2019

In David Henry Hwang's play "M Butterfly" there's a few things you can take away. First there's the actual historical comparison to the real relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. Second there's the cultural lesson of Westerners predilection t...

BWW Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN at the Paramount - You Will Be Found ... Laughing, Cheering, Crying, all the Feelings
by Jay Irwin - January 26, 2019

After a shaky start (sorry to all you folks who got bumped from the Wednesday performance) the 2017 Tony Award winner, "Dear Evan Hansen" is here at the Paramount. Now, I managed to catch this phenomenal show on Broadway when it was still in previews, so I got to see the original cast. The cast I'...

BWW Review: Seattle Rep's LAST OF THE BOYS Delivers an Emotional Gut Punch
by Jay Irwin - January 24, 2019

Steven Dietz is touted as being 'one of America's most successful, prolific living dramatists' (The Seattle Times, 2018) and it's no surprise given his rich, engaging characters, raw, honest dialog, and stories that feel effortless as they slip in the emotional knife before you know it. Such is cer...

BWW Review: Can Can's Sexy European Cabaret BONBON
by Jay Irwin - January 23, 2019

Dear Readers, if you deem to venture into the sultry world of Can Can's newest show, "Bonbon", you may walk away with several feelings. First, you'll probably have a need to hit the gym more because, well, damn! Second, there's the impetus to slink and sashay down the street afterward humming a se...

BWW Review: Strawshop's EVERYBODY Examines Death ... Again and Again and Again
by Jay Irwin - January 23, 2019

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play "Everybody", currently at 12th Ave Arts from Strawberry Theatre Workshop, tells us from the beginning that we're in for a show about death. The House Manager (Justin Huertas) lets us know that this is a story that has been told before, many many times. But what makes "...

BWW Review: Village's I DO! I DO! a Show about Commitment, That Lacks Commitment
by Jay Irwin - January 18, 2019

As a self-proclaimed musical theater geek, I'll admit to some gaps in my geekdom and Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's 1966 musical "I Do! I Do!" falls squarely into that gap. Before going to see the current production at Village Theatre I knew nothing about it. I don't even think I've heard the erra...

BWW Review: ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL at Seattle Shakespeare ticks all the boxes.
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - January 13, 2019

With all the focus dedicated to the language and story, Seattle Shakespeare breaths new life into this old classic while maintaining all its traditions. While current trends rely on new interpretations, new locations, different time periods, this production stays true to the Bard and delivers the go...

BWW Review: WET's Absurdist Political Thriller B Ticks on Too Long Before Exploding
by Jay Irwin - January 12, 2019

Any good play wants to contain a solid beginning, middle, and end. But you know the old adage, give them a strong ending and they'll forgive a lot. But what happens when a one-act, one hour and 35-minute show just has a strong middle? I'll tell you, a lot of me checking my watch near the end and ...

BWW Review: THE LION KING National Tour at Paramount has Drawn the Circle of Life Too Many Times
by Jay Irwin - December 15, 2018

Dear Readers, I'm going to start out by coming clean to a fact that may cause a few gasps. I've never liked "The Lion King". Unlike much of the rest of America I didn't think the movie was that great and I seriously don't care for the stage version. The story is just a watered-down version of "Ha...

BWW Review: MY ANTONIA at Book-It Repertory Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - December 03, 2018

Book-It Repertory Theatre has a winner on its hands. MY ANTONIA sings with triumph as a story we both know by heart and one we long to hear. It deftly deals with the issues of love and loss, class divide, and immigration. Whether a century ago or current day, the story of My Antonia is remarkable fo...