Seattle Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 7

Review: THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL at The Can Can
by Jay Irwin - September 08, 2022

The Can Can is back, Dear Readers, with their ode to all things that go bump and grind in the night, “The Hitchcock Hotel”. And just like past offerings, they continue to up their game with this new spooky, sexy show....

Review: ALMOST, MAINE at Heart Repertory Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - September 04, 2022

ALMOST, MAINE at Heart Repertory Theatre beckons us to stop a while and enjoy a brief time of shared moments with average people in average situations, a slice of life if you will. Through the sharing of these moments, Heart Rep reminds us of the universal threads that connect our experiences to tho...

Review: HAMILTON at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - August 05, 2022

The juggernaut, the glory, the hot ticket in town has returned. Yes, “Hamilton”, that multiple Tony Award winning phenomenon that’s still a big seller on Broadway has made its way back to Seattle and, good news, you have a bit over a month to catch it. Even better news, they’re doing the lottery f...

Review: COME FROM AWAY at 5th Avenue Theatre
by Jay Irwin - July 23, 2022

Dear Readers, if you feel you don’t want/need to see the musical “Come From Away”, currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, I’m here to tell you, you’re wrong....

Review: TITANISH at Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - July 16, 2022

The Habit has done it again! First, they wowed us with their hilarious sketch comedy, then branched out into sidesplitting playwrighting with the recurring “A Very Die Hard Christmas”, not to mention their “Indiana Jones” send up. But now The Habit in conjunction with Seattle Public Theater have s...

Review: BLACK COFFEE at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - July 16, 2022

Something missing, someone dead, many with motives, and none telling the whole truth. Taproot Theatre invites you to lean in and study the scene. With a marvelous set, dynamic characters, and some unexpected humor, Black Coffee is a delightful romp through Agatha Christie’s world of mystery....

Review: HADESTOWN at The Paramount Theatre
by Jay Irwin - July 13, 2022

Dear Readers, every now and again something comes through town that takes musical theater to a whole new level. The Tony Award winner for Best Musical “Hadestown”, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre is one of those shows. And sadly, even with its Tony win, too few people know about it. Le...

Review: LIZZIE from Just Us Girls & Co.
by Jay Irwin - June 25, 2022

Dear Readers, if you’re not familiar with the rock musical “Lizzie” with music by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt and Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Tim Maner then I pity you. This kick ass, girl power show has one of the most infectious scores that I’ve come across in years. ...

Review: THE BONESETTER'S DAUGHTER at Book-It Repertory Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - June 25, 2022

Memories, secrets, and what is believed to be true are held in a delicate balance in the hands of The Bonesetter’s Daughter at Book-It Repertory Theatre. There are the stories we tell and the stories we hide. Can you really know who you are if you don’t know the past? The bonds of mothers and daught...

Review: MIKU, AND THE GODS at ArtsWest
by Jay Irwin - June 19, 2022

Metaphor in storytelling is fine. If you need/want to disguise your main themes in a fable, great, but make that fable something interesting. Instead, Julia Izumi’s “miku, and the gods” currently playing at ArtsWest disguises a journey through grief, illness, and loss with an allegory that meander...

BWW Review: BRUCE at The Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - June 12, 2022

Dear Readers, I need to ask you a question. Have you seen the movie “Jaws”? The original and first big summer blockbuster from 1975. Read our review. ...

BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Village Theatre
by Jay Irwin - June 11, 2022

I am aware, Dear Readers, that for some the ABBA jukebox musical “Mamma Mia” is not for them. Maybe they aren’t fans of ABBA or maybe they just don’t like fun but whatever the case, I can unabashedly state that I am NOT one of them.  ...

BWW Review: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at The Paramount
by Jay Irwin - June 08, 2022

Dear Readers, we’ve discussed this before. Not every movie needs to be made into a musical....

BWW Review: THE PROM at The 5th Avenue Theatre
by Jay Irwin - June 02, 2022

Dear Readers, as we enter Pride month, I can’t think of a more delightful way to celebrate than having the national tour of the gay romp “The Prom” come to us at the 5th Avenue Theatre. ...

BWW Review: THE NERD at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - May 23, 2022

Larry Shue’s raucous comedy “The Nerd” was a staple of midrange to small theaters all over back in the 80’s and 90’s. It was zany, smart, and didn’t require too many outlandish elements. So, I was fairly excited to catch this new local production currently being offered at Taproot Theatre, especia...

BWW Review: RIVERWOOD at Langston And Seattle Public Theater
by Jay Irwin - May 22, 2022

In a joint production between Langston and Seattle Public Theater, local playwright Andrew Lee Creech brings us the World Premiere of his play “Riverwood”. A play that tackles some seriously tough and topical subjects affecting underdeveloped neighborhoods and people of color and that contains some...

BWW Review: LOLA at The Can Can
by Jay Irwin - May 16, 2022

Dear Readers, I think it’s time for me to come out to you all. I am here to say that I am an out and proud fan of Barry Manilow. Yes, I’m a Fanilow. From “Mandy” to “American Bandstand” to “I Made it Through the Rain”, I love them all. And, of course, there’s the best, “Copacabana”. Now take th...

BWW Review: ALMA at ArtsWest
by Jay Irwin - May 14, 2022

For many, the days following the election of Donald Trump to the White House were harrowing, fraught with uncertainty and angst but especially for undocumented immigrants whose livelihood seemed to be the focal rallying cry of the former President and his base. So, setting a play such as Benjamin B...

BWW Review: AFTERWORDS at The 5th Avenue Theatre
by Jay Irwin - May 12, 2022

Dear Readers, by now you know that one of my major pet peeves for any show is what I call “someone else’s therapy on stage”. Other people’s problems just aren’t interesting, and I don’t need to see you work through them. Such is the first issue of many I have with the new musical “Afterwords”, cur...

BWW Review: SWEAT at ACT
by Jay Irwin - May 11, 2022

Lynn Nottage has swiftly established herself as one of the current darlings of the theater scene. With her Pulitzer Prize for her play “Sweat” currently playing at ACT, as well as her other fantastic recent works such as “Clyde’s” and “Ruined” to name just a few, her vibrant characters beautifully ...

BWW Review: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO at McCaw Hall
by Erica Miner - May 08, 2022

If ever an opera could be described as “easy listening” and flawlessly engaging, Figaro would qualify hands down...

BWW Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Center Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - May 01, 2022

Every once in a while the stars will align, and magic will happen. Magic is exactly what happened on stage last night as Seattle Shakespeare presented MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. From director to cast to staging, everything worked together in perfect unison to not only tell this age old story, but to el...

BWW Review: TWO MILE HOLLOW from Intiman Theatre
by Jay Irwin - April 29, 2022

Dear Readers, if you too are sick of the dysfunctional white family play then you’re not alone. Leah Nanako Winkler, author of “Two Mile Hollow”, currently being offered from Intiman Theatre, has certainly had enough of them. So much so that she wrote her own version of one. And while I appreciat...

BWW Review: SELLING KABUL at The Seattle Rep
by Jay Irwin - April 28, 2022

The lies we tell ourselves and each other, Dear Readers, and the information we choose to divulge and that which we choose to keep to ourselves, those choices are at the heart of “Selling Kabul”, the current show playing at the Seattle Rep....

BWW Review: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Village Theatre
by Jay Irwin - April 25, 2022

Dear Readers, if you’re going to do a show, any show, you need to have confidence in what you’re putting up on that stage. And while the current production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Village Theatre has a bunch of fun moments, the show as a whole seemed to lack the confidence to go fo...