West Side Story - The 5th Avenue Theatre

West Side Story
The 5^th Avenue Theatre in Association with Spectrum Dance Theater
May 26 – June 17, 2007
Tickets and Information

Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s classic retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet comes back to life for its 50^th anniversary at the 5^th Avenue Theatre. The 1957 musical has captivated audiences from Broadway to London, from professional theaters to high school productions and now finds its home in Seattle for its half-century birthday. In association with The 5^th Avenue Theatre, Spectrum Dance Theater lends its style, flare and name to this incredible production. No better gift could these theaters have given than this spectacular show.

With an ensemble show such as West Side Story, the audience relies on the combined talents and skills of all the performers at all times in order to create the breathtaking numbers. Bob Richard’s recreation of the original choreography brings back to life the original emotion and power of West Side Story. With incredible dance sequences in ‘Cool,’ ‘America’ and ‘Officer Krupke,’ the skill of the choreographer and dancers is readily apparent. Additionally, the various choreographic styles show off the originality and the perpetual freshness of the dances, augmenting the skills of the performers.

Photo by Chris Bennion

Ian Eisendrath’s conduction and musical direction of this production summons up all of the power and skill of each performer. Numbers such as ‘The Tonight Quintet’ gather the audience to the edge of its communal seat. ‘A Boy Like That’ is one of the most heart-wrenching pieces of music in the show and is executed perfectly. Augmenting the music and dance is Bill Berry’s direction. Adding a bit of extra feistiness to such a well-known show, Berry’s directorial skill shines in this show. Capturing the essence of the emotion and action, West Side Story is as vivacious as ever, if not even more so.

Martin Christoffel’s set design is a tangible painting for the stage. His juxtaposition of industrial warehouse-like levels and a variety of Shakespearean catwalk balconies with supple drapery and backings creates a complete and vibrant world. Living within Christoffel’s sets, Lynda Salsbury’s subtle costumes allow the show to carry itself while softening the distinctions between gangs and characters. Without such harsh color differentiation as can often be used in a production of West Side Story, Salsbury’s costumes are strong but not overpowering allowing the show to speak for itself. Meanwhile, Tom Sturge’s lighting design flows forth from the vaulted warehouse ceilings to the world of the play. Using a combination of classic stage lighting with unnatural halogen lighting (for Doc’s Drugstore) and a palpable filling of the stage with the deepest possible color, Sturge’s design fully adds the final piece to this remarkable puzzle.

After half a century of running throughout the world, West Side Story comes to Seattle for its silver anniversary. This production brings back the magic that has always been, is, and will always be Sondheim and Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Review by Nigel Andrews and Phoebe Linea

An Intimate Evening with Phylicia Rashad

in an "Inside the Actor's Studio"-style interview, career retrospective and informal Q&A led by renowned Broadway director Kenny Leon

Monday, June 11, 2007 8:00pm

Proceeds to benefit Seattle Rep education programs Leo K Theatre

Seattle, WA - Tickets are now on sale for An Intimate Evening with Phylicia Rashad, in an "Inside the Actor's Studio"-style interview and career retrospective, with an informal Q&A led by renowned Broadway director Kenny Leon. This one-night-only benefit will raise funds for Seattle Repertory Theatre's education programs. The event will take place on Monday, June 11, 2007 at 8:00 pm at the Leo K Theatre. Tickets are available by calling the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206-443-2222 or online at www.seattlerep.org. Phylicia Rashad, star of stage and TV, is best known for her role as Dr. Claire Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" and was the first African-American woman to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She recently enjoyed her directorial debut with Seattle Rep's production of Gem of the Ocean. Kenny Leon is a leading director of August Wilson's plays and is best known for his lauded Broadway productions of Gem of the Ocean and A Raisin in the Sun, both starring Phylicia Rashad. He is the founder and artistic director of True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta. All proceeds from An Intimate Evening with Phylicia Rashad support Seattle Rep's education and outreach efforts for young people. For more than 20 years, Seattle Rep has offered a wide variety of educational programs throughout the community. Through its arts education programs, Seattle Rep serves over 60 schools, which might not otherwise have access to theatre. Seattle Rep offers in-school artist residencies, provides subsidized tickets, and encourages young people to express themselves through its TeenSpeak programs. Seattle Rep also provides resources to public school teachers through workshops and seminars. Community support and subsidy are vital to ensure the continued success of these important programs. Tickets to An Intimate Evening with Phylicia Rashad range from $75 (includes post-show champagne celebration) to $250 and up (including opportunities to meet Phylicia Rashad). Bring a child! One complimentary youth ticket with each full-price adult ticket. To make reservations or for further information, please contact the Seattle Rep Box Office at (206) 443-2222.

Intiman's 35th Anniversary

INTIMAN CONTINUES ITS 35th ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH CHEKHOV’S UNCLE VANYA, NEWLY ADAPTED BY CRAIG LUCAS AND DIRECTED BY BARTLETT SHER

Chekhov’s most intimate play, Uncle Vanya will feature music by composer Adam Guettel and an ensemble led by Kristin Flanders, Tim Hopper, Samantha Mathis and Mark Nelson

Performances: June 12 – July 18 at Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center

Opening Night: Saturday, June 16 at 8 pm

SEATTLE— Intiman Theatre, recipient of the 2006 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, continues its 35^th season with Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, newly adapted by Associate Artistic Director Craig Lucas and directed by Artistic Director Bartlett Sher. Uncle Vanya opens at the Intiman Playhouse, 201 Mercer Street at Seattle Center , on Saturday, June 16 at 8 pm and runs through Wednesday, July 18 at 7:30 pm. Low-price preview performances are June 12, 13, 14 (pay-what-you-can) and 15. For a complete schedule of performances and special events, please see the Fact Sheet at the end of this release.

Tickets range in price from $10 to $48, with discounts available for students and groups. Patrons aged 25 and under can purchase tickets to any performance for $10, pending availability. A limited number of $20 rush tickets may be available for purchase 15 minutes before curtain time, pending availability. Tickets are available for purchase from www.intiman.org or 206.269.1900. This production is sponsored by ArtsFund, 4Culture and the INTIMAN Theatre Foundation.

The most intimate of Chekhov’s plays, Uncle Vanya is set on a country estate outside of Moscow at the turn of the 20^th century. The play’s characters rebel against their own thwarted desires, and act on their passions in ways that are alternately heartbreaking and hilarious.

“There are people who say Uncle Vanya is about despair and frustration, and others who say it is about hope and courage. In fact, it’s about all of those things,” says director Bartlett Sher. “This might be my favorite play on earth, because its basic themes are the things I care most about: love and work.”

Uncle Vanya is the second Chekhov play adapted and directed by Lucas and Sher, following Intiman’s production of Three Sisters in the 2005 season, and their fifth collaboration since 2001. This production will feature music composed by Adam Guettel, a Tony winner and Grammy nominee for The Light in the Piazza.

The cast includes Allen Fitzpatrick (Professor Serebriakov), Kristin Flanders (Sonya), Tim Hopper (Astrov), Lori Larsen (Maria), Samantha Mathis (Elena), Todd Jefferson Moore (Telegin), Mark Nelson (Vanya) and Paula Nelson (Nanny).

Kristin Flanders was most recently seen as Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth and Queen Elizabeth in Richard III at Intiman, and in The Lady from Dubuque at Seattle Rep. Her other Intiman credits include Three Sisters, Singing Forest and Homebody/Kabul, and she has been a company member at both The Guthrie Theater and the American Repertory Theatre.

Tim Hopper is an Ensemble member of Chicago ’s Steppenwolf Theatre. His New York credits include Bartlett Sher’s production of Pericles at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Dying Gaul by Craig Lucas, the title role of Steve Martin’s Picasso in the Lapin Agile, and More Stately Mansions, for which he won a 1998 Obie Award and the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Herald Angel Award.

Samantha Mathis appeared on Broadway in Arthur Miller’s The Man Who Had All the Luck. She played Lisa Morrison in Collected Stories by Donald Margulies at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles , and recreated her role for the “PBS Hollywood” film adaptation. Her film credits include The American President, Little Women, The Thing Called Love and Pump Up the Volume.

Mark Nelson has recently acted in two one-man plays, Underneath the Lintel at Long Wharf (Connecticut Critics Circle Award) and I Am My Own Wife at George Street Playhouse and Coconut Grove (2007 Carbonell Award). His Broadway credits include Stoppard’s The Invention of Love and Neil Simon’s trilogy Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound. He played Einstein in Picasso at the Lapin Agile in New York (Obie Award) and on the national tour, including Seattle ’s Moore Theatre.

The creative team for Uncle Vanya includes scenic designer John McDermott, costume designer Deb Trout, lighting designer Brian MacDevitt and sound designer Joseph Swartz. The stage manager is Claire E. Zawa.

For bios of the company and the creative team please visit www.intiman.org.

On Thursday, June 7 at 6 pm, patrons are invited to attend Spotlight Supper, a behind-the-scenes look at a technical rehearsal with director Bartlett Sher.

On Monday, June 11 at 7 pm, the Intiman Book Club will discuss Chekhov’s Ward No. 6 and Janet Malcolm’s Reading Chekhov; this discussion is free and open to the public.

On Sunday, June 17, Intiman will offer a Father’s Day Brunch before the 2 pm performance, beginning at 12 noon. Cost for the show and brunch is $54 per adult and $22 for youth 16 and under. For required advance reservations, patrons should call 206.269.1900.

West Side Story Extended Run!

WHAT: Due to overwhelming demand for WEST SIDE STORY tickets, The 5th Avenue Theatre has added two performances at the end of the run.

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, WEST SIDE STORY maps the collision course of two feuding New York City street gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – and the young lovers caught in the crossfire. Winner of two Tony Awards and 10 Academy Awards, WEST SIDE STORY is an American theater masterpiece, with explosive dancing and some of the most electrifying music ever written for the Broadway stage, including “Maria,” “Tonight” and “Somewhere.”

WHEN: New Extended Performance Dates: May 26 – June 19, 2007

Added Performances: Monday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. & Tuesday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 5^th Avenue , Downtown Seattle

TICKETS: $20 - $75

• www.5thavenue.org
• (206) 625-1900 / (888) 5TH-4TIX
• In person at The 5th Avenue Theatre Box Office at 1308 5^th Avenue

5th Avenue Awards

Follow this LINK for information regarding the Awards Nominations, Ceremony and details of the 5th Avenue 2007 Awards.

Two Weeks Left for In The Kafka Colony - Open Circle Theater

This Sunday is the final pay-what-you-will show for IN THE KAFKA
COLONY at Open
Circle Theater. Don't miss the show that has taken the critics and Seattle by
storm! (Check out the reviews at www.OCTheater.com)

This world premiere by local playwright Dustin Engstrom merges Franz Kafka's
life with his writings. At the end of his life, the line between reality and
fiction blurs and we find ourselves walking amongst rhinos and storks in the
ghetto of Prague. A magical evening of astounding theater.

IN THE KAFKA COLONY runs
through June 2
Thu. - Sat. @ 8pm / Sun. 2/27 @ 3pm

Thu. are 2-for-1
Sun. are P/W/Y/W

Reservations: (206) 382-4250 - or - wow.OCTheater.com

Open Circle Theater - 429 Boren Avenue North

The Paramount's New Season!

Follow this link to see the Paramounts extensive new season!

Weekly Update - 5/19/2007

KSUB
www.seattleu.edu/ksub
The Broadway Hour > Sunday, April 8, 2007 from 10am-12noon

Open Circle Theater*
Tickets and Information
In The Kafka Colony >May 11 - June 3, 2007

Seattle University
Tickets and Information
The Nice and the Nasty >May 10 - 20, 2007**

Seattle Opera
Tickets and Info
La Boheme > May 5 - 19, 2007

The Intiman Theatre
Tickets and Info
The Skin of Our Teeth > April 28 - June 2, 2007

The Paramount Theater
Tickets and Info
Broadway Bound: Disney's High School Musical >May 31 - June 17, 2007

ACT Theater
Tickets and Info
Menopause the Musical >running through May 28, 2007
Late Night Catechism >running through August 2007
Souvenir >May 11 - June 10, 2007

Seattle Repertory Theater
Tickets and Info
Souvenir >May 11 - June 10, 2007
Moscow Cat Theatre >June 2 - 3, 2007 BUY TICKETS NOW!!

The 5th Avenue Theatre
Tickets and Info
West Side Story >May 25 - June 17, 2007

*Costumes by Andrew Perez: AKA, Nigel Andrews
**With Andy Swanson: AKA, Rick Skyler

In The Kafka Colony - Open Circle Theater

In The Kafka Colony
Open Circle Theater
May 11 - June 2, 2007
Tickets and Information

Any fan of Kafka could be well entertained by just one of his strangely intriguing stories put to stage; yet what would happen if multiple stories were laced together? In The Kafka Colony explores that possibility as Kafka’s stories taken from The Blue Octavo Notebooks and are intertwined to create a full-length stage production.

Eric Yates’ set immediately sets the show up to depend upon Andrew Perez’ costumes and the talent of the actors to tell the story. The set is very simple with few movable pieces creating an adventure to for the audience to see how they are integrated into each scene. The costumes do a fantastic job of setting the tone of the play and fill in for minimal set décor to set the location and mood for the audience. Ashley Born’s lighting also plays an integral role in the show as it is used to create sets without having to clutter the stage.

Photo by Andrew Perez

The highlight of the show by far is the acting. The show calls for many characters and with a small cast it seems that all the different personalities would mix, creating a disaster; yet the cast finds no trouble in keeping their various identities separate. An equally impressive segment of the show is its use of puppets. The puppetry is quite a bizarre addition to the show yet one will finds oneself waiting for the next scene that includes the mouse, cat or even birds as they provide much comedic relief.

So what would one have to do in order to prepare for an evening In The Kafka Colony? If you’re feeling studious, perhaps brush up on your Kafka; yet it isn’t required to ensure a good time. As long as you bring an open mind and are willing to suspend reality for a couple of hours; the show is not one to miss.

Review by guest writer Cat Aurelio

The Nice and the Nasty - Seattle University's Lee Center for the Arts

The Nice and the Nasty
Seattle University
May 10 – May 20, 2007
Tickets and Information

There is a war on that is tearing through shopping malls and diners. With who this war is being fought is the big question, though. And what about issues and politics within the company? Has the world gone from peace to the nice versus the nasty, Food Technology versus someone or everything versus itself? That is the premise of The Nice and the Nasty presented by Ki Gottberg and Rosa Joshi at Seattle University. In the food corporation of the future, the styles and the daily activities are all heightened and advanced. When Junius Upsey (Aaron Orheim) invents a device that could solve world hunger and create peace, the already topsy-turvy world goes on its head.

A fantastic ensemble performance, The Nice and the Nasty combines incredible bravado with meek ploys to create a wonderfully juxtaposed show. Aaron Orheim’s performance as the brilliant and mild Junius Upsey is fabulously contrasted with Molly Tomhave’s (Cathexa Heights) and Keith Hazen-Dheim’s (Blade Crevis) power and force.

Directed by Ki Gottberg, this production is an absolute stunner. Her work at Seattle University and off-campus is always exciting and vibrant; this is no exception. Breaking new ground in brightness and action, this show is a wonderful capper to the season which has also included Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov and As You Like It by William Shakespeare. Assisted by Rosa Joshi in the creation of this production, The Nice and the Nasty has elements of everyone involved in it included in the performance.

Standing out especially is the music and sound design used in this production. Dominic CodyKramers’ sound design and Lindsay Smith’s associate work create an unbelievable feel for the show. Completely setting the mood with runway model music and apropos sound effects, the sound design element is fabulous. The costumes, as well, by Harmony J.K. Arnold are spectacular. Straight off of the racks of the most modern fashion and with such vivid colors, the costumes are blindingly beautiful.

This is a fantastic production of The Nice and the Nasty and should not be missed. All of the elements influence each other and play off of each other wonderfully in this ensemble show.