Intiman - Special Guests at Black Nativity

SEATTLE— The Total Experience Gospel Choir, soul vocalist Choklate, and gospel singers Jacquie Berg and Karma Johnson are among the guest performers who will join Intiman’s holiday production of Black Nativity during this season’s run.

In addition, a performance will be dedicated to the Reverend Dr. Samuel B. McKinney, who retired this year after presiding over the show for its first decade. He has been succeeded by actor G. To’mas Jones, who is delivering the traditional second-act sermon with words about the historic election of Barack Obama.

Black Nativity runs through December 27 at the Intiman Playhouse, 201 Mercer Street at Seattle Center . Tickets range in price from $15 to $45, with discounts available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets are available from www.intiman.org or 206.269.1900. The Ticket Office will be open on Mondays from 12-5 pm during the run of the show to accommodate audience demand for tickets.

INTIMAN ADDS A PERFORMANCE OF BLACK NATIVITY ON SUNDAY,
DECEMBER 28 AT 2 PM

The schedule of special performances is as follows:

Friday, December 12 at 8 pm: Pastor Patrinell Wright’s Total Experience Gospel Choir, which is celebrating its 35^th Anniversary this year, will join the Black Nativity Choir on stage in Act II.

Thursday, December 18 at 7:30 pm: Special performance honoring the Reverend Dr. Samuel B. McKinney; please note that tickets for this performance are $20-$50.

Friday, December 19 at 8 pm: Total Experience alumna Karma Johnson, an American Idol contestant from the show’s first season, returns to Black Nativity as a guest soloist.

Saturday, December 20 at 2 pm and Tuesday, December 23 at 7:30 pm: Jacquie Berg, who performed in the show for three seasons, returns as a guest soloist.

Saturday, December 20 at 8 pm: Choklate, a rising new Seattle-based soul vocalist, joins the show as a guest soloist.

The production is sponsored in part by Safeco Insurance, with additional support from The Boeing Company, U.S. Bancorp Foundation and Starbucks Coffee Company. The participation of the guest artists is made possible by The Boeing Company.

Sound of Music Sing-Along!

5th Avenue
Tickets and Information
Friday, Jan 2, Evening 7:00 PM
Saturday, Jan 3, Matinee 1:00 PM

Boo at Nazis! Wave your edelweiss! Open your Von Trapp and sing!
Sing-A-Long Sound of Music is a 3 1/2 hour “movie event” that includes pre-show festivities, a costume contest, prizes, & non-stop silly film fun. Watch The Sound of Music, original in every way, except that all the song lyrics appear subtitled on the on The 5th Avenue ’s giant screen. Moviegoers receive an official “fun pack,” filled with interactive props. The celebrity guest emcee, John Curley of Evening Magazine, coordinates the vocal warm up and costume contest and gives lessons on participating in Sing-A-Long’s signature jeers and cheers.

You Can't Take It With You - Seattle Repertory Theatre

You Can’t Take It With You
Seattle Repertory Theatre
November 28, 2008 – January 3, 2009
Tickets and Information

Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s You Can’t Take It With You is a rumpus journey through the lives of two families as they intersect in the name of young love. When Alice Sycamore (Elise Karolina Hunt) wants to bring a potential suitor home from the office – the vice president of the walls street firm where she works – Anthony Kirby Jr (Ben Hollandsworth) she has to first deal with how her family will confront him. With the combination of her writer/painter mother who never finishes a work, her fireworks engineer father and his associate Mr. DePinna, her loafer Grandfather, her aspiring ballerina sister and her husband the printer, not to mention Rheba – the African-American hired help and her boyfriend, Donald, she has quite a handful. She does everything she can to make it work, but when the Kirby’s arrive only the play can tell what will happen from there.

Ben Hollandsworth and Annette Toutonghi. Photo by Chris Bennion.

Warner Shook’s direction is the very image of precision. With a show as tightly written as this, it takes a surgeon of a director with highly trained actors to make it read. As a cast and a production as a whole, they all nail it. The comedy is tight as metal work and the flow of the story is like the stock market itself – in and out of beauty and tragedy like there’s nothing to it. It helps, certainly, to have a cast of Seattle’s heavy-hitters: R. Hamilton Wright, Annette Toutonghi, Cecil Luellen, Anne Allgood and Michael Winters to name just a few. With an eighteen-actor cast the flow of the piece is critical and there is not a slip in sight with You Can’t Take It With You.

Michael Ganio’s set design wows the audience from the moment the curtain rises at the top of the first act. The lavish set that the Rep is so famous for in all their productions does not disappoint. While perhaps, as tends to happen, a bit over-indulgent, the set serves its purpose and certainly is a spectacle to behold. Michael Roth’s and Brendan Patrick Hogan’s music and sound design are impeccable. From the moment the first sound plays, the audience knows they are in for an audible treat for the evening.

Clocking in at about two and a half hours and including two intermissions, the Rep’s You Can’t Take It With You is a hefty investment for the evening but well worth it. It’s a wonderful romp through the ins and outs of inter-familial relations at their most bizarre and they are shown with the scalpel-sharp comedic precision that one hopes to see at a theater like Seattle’s Repertory Theatre.

Review by Nigel Andrews

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - 5th Avenue Theatre

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

5^th Avenue Theatre

December 3 – 28, 2008

Tickets and Information

The story in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers dates back past the 1954 MGM film to the American poet Stephen Vincent Benét most famous for his poem about the Civil War, John Brown’s Body. As in the musical, the short story by Benét adapts the Plutarch story about Roman men who kidnap seven Sabine women to take as brides. The musical, however, is presented as only the heart of American Musical Theatre can offer.

Cast of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 5th Avenue. Photo by Chris Bennion

The story is emotional and heartfelt, yes, but it is primarily a rumpus of musical fun from start to finish. Adam Pontipee (Edward Watts) opens the show in search of a wife to take care of him and his six woodsmen brothers. He finds Milly Brandon (Laura Griffith) who, over the course of the show, shows Adam and his biblical brothers what’s what when it comes to women. Watts and Griffith are powerhouses in the proscenium supported by a cast of incredibly skilled dancers and performers. Each and every performer in the 5^th Avenue’s production rocks the out-of-this-world choreography by Patti Colombo. Colombo’s style takes this show much beyond its cute, fun, family show to a fully-produced dance piece that will take the kids in the audience for a spectacular ride and awe even the most jaded thespians in the house.

Allison Narver’s direction of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is equally impressive. Her tried and true precision and attention to even the minutest detail makes this show even more hilarious than it seems possible. Her take on this show is a calculated one that shows the flaws in each and every character and, therefore, makes their triumphs even more spectacular. Similarly, Geoffery Alm’s combat direction is specific, technical and flawless. The massive fight sequences and the isolated hits and jabs are all beautifully choreographed and fly like honest blows.

Of course, the production would not be the same without the impeccable set and light design. Anna Louizos (set) and Tom Sturge (lights), both long-time veterans of their craft, take the show to a level of spectacle only reachable by the 5^th Avenue. While the production on the whole may seem rather gaudy, all the elements fit like puzzle-pieces and function fabulously.

The 5^th Avenue’s production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a definite family gathering show. While on the cutesy side of the American Musical Theatre world, this production takes the technical elements of the dance, the combat and the script and rocks them to a brilliant level.

Review by Nigel Andrews

Weekly Update 12/3/2008

Seattle Shakespeare
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Servant of Two Masters >January 8 - February 1, 2009
The Turn of the Screw >January 13 - 28, 2009
The Merchant of Venice >March 12 - April 5, 2009
The Tempest >June 4 - 28, 2009

Taproot Theater Company
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Gee's Bend >January 28 - February 28, 2009
Tuesdays With Morrie >March 25 - April 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Days >March 20 - June 20, 2009
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming >July 18 - August 15, 2009
Enchanted April >September 25 - October 24, 2009

Seattle Children's Theater
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Bluenose >October 17 - December 14, 2008
The Wizard of Oz >November 21, 2008 - January 17, 2009
Tomas and the Library Lady >January 9 - March 1, 2009
Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire >January 30 - March 7, 2009
The Tale of Two Cities >March 20 - April 12, 2009
Goodnight Moon >April 10 - June 14, 2009
I Was a Rat! >May 1 - June 14, 2009

Intiman Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
Black Nativity >November 29 - December 27, 2008
2009 SEASON ON SALE NOW!
The Year of Magical Thinking
Crime and Punishment
Othello
A Thousand Clowns
American Cycle II

Seattle Repertory Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Boom >November 13 - December 14, 2008
You Can't Take It With You >November 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009
The Road to Mecca >January 15 - February 14, 2009
Betrayal >February 19–March 22, 2009
The Seafarer >February 26 - March 28, 2009
Wishful Drinking >April 2, 2009 - May 3, 2009
Breaking Hearts and Taking Names >April 9-May 10, 2009

ACT Theater
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
A Christmas Carol >November 28 - December 27, 2008
2009 SEASON ANNOUNCED:
Rock N Roll
The Break/s
Das Barbecu
Runt of the Litter
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Seattle Opera
ALL ON SALE NOW
Pearl Fishers >January 10 - 24, 2009
Bluebeard's Castle & Erwartung >February 21 - March 7, 2009
Marriage of Figaro >May 2 - 16, 2009

Paramount
COLOR PURPLE ON SALE NOW
MORE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK
The Color Purple >December 16 - 28, 2008
The Lion King >February 11 - March 16, 2009
CATS >April 15 - 19, 2009
Frost Nixon >May 6 - 10, 2009
RENT >June 16 - 21, 2009
Wicked >September 2 - October 4, 2009
August: Osage County >October 27 - November 1, 2009
Fiddler on the Roof >November 27 - December 5, 2009

The 5th Avenue Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers >December 3 - 28, 2008 - on sale Sep. 19
Memphis >January 27 - February 15, 2008, 2009 - on sale Sep. 19
Hello, Dolly! >March 8 - 29, 2009 - on sale Jan. 9
Sunday in the Park With George >April 21 - May 10, 2009 - on sale Jan. 9
Grease >May 12 - 30, 2009 - on sale Feb. 6

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Dimitrou's Jazz Alley
Tickets and Information

Want Salon Quality Hair Services for a Fraction of the Cost?
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Brett Dean McGibbon's Different Fish Bookstore

A Christmas Carol - ACT

A Christmas Carol

ACT

November 28-December 27, 2008

Tickets and Information

ACT’s A Christmas Carol (adapted by Gregory A. Falls) is one of the longest-running holiday traditions in Seattle. Now in its 33^rd year, this production is still as entertaining and charming as ever.

Kurt Beattie’s direction keeps the show remarkably fresh, and the actors’ indefatigable energy will make even the Scrooges of the audience crack a smile. Seán G. Griffin and Allan Fitzpatrick will be alternating the familiar role of Scrooge, and Griffin’s performance for the opening show was endearing, taking the audience along on Scrooge’s journey from crotchety to cheerful. The other actors, swirling about Scrooge in an ensemble of holiday cheer, all carried their various parts strongly.

Photo by Chris Bennion

This year’s production takes a darker turn on the story than the past few years have dared. Marley’s appearance leaps to the side of the truly ghastly and the spirits’ entrances take a much more sudden and startling potency. Michael Wellborn’s lighting design and Chris R Walker’s sound design in conjunction with Steven M Klein’s original sound design lend major hands in creating this somewhat more ghostly story.

Fear not, though; A Christmas Carol is still the beloved holiday classic we all know it to be. ACT does not disappoint with this year’s production and it will, as it always does, awe the audience old and young, cynical and spirited, Scrooge and Cratchit alike.

Review by Lia Morgan and Nigel Andrews

boom - Seattle Rep

boom

Seattle Repertory Theatre

November 13 – December 14, 2008

Tickets and Information

boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and directed by Jerry Manning is an odd exploration into the post-apocalypse of an ever negligent and oblivious human society. It concerns Jules (Nick Garrison), a socially inept ichthyologist recently returned from a rather revelatory biological expedition and Jo (Chealsey Rives), a contemptuous journalism major lured into Jule’s “underground lab” through an online solicitation for “intensely significant coupling.” Their story clips along nicely, with Jules’ discovery of a comet due to collide with the earth in “seven-ish” minutes and his obvious need for a female bunker-mate. As the story reaches its first major peak, it is suddenly and jarringly interrupted by Barbara (Gretchen Krich), a wildly eccentric elderly woman who has operated this museum exhibit for years, making it her baby – raising it from the fledgling show it was into the performance piece she made it. As the two stories progress through the rest of the evening, Barbara’s story, though compelling on its own, presents an unnecessary and distracting counterpoint to Jules and Jo’s more urgent tale.

Nick Garrison and Chelsey Rives. Photo by Chris Bennion.

The production itself is expertly executed from acting to direction to the calling of countless precise cues. Manning’s direction of boom takes a dangerously melodramatic situation and turns it into a fascinating human exploration of real people in extreme circumstances. A situation such as the apocalypse can turn quickly into two people annoying each other and everyone else tangentially involved, but Garrison and Rives deliver their characters with humanity and substance that provides layers aplenty for the audience to ride. Krich’s performance of Barbara’s story was masterfully handled. Though Barbara’s storyline was awkwardly injected into the play and her character was rather selfish and peeving, Krich carried her with a grace and adeptness that made Barbara endearing in a way few could.

Robert J Aguilar’s lighting design is flawless to say the least. His scalpel-sharp cues and brilliant juxtapositions of stark white with soft blues and gentle hues keeps the audience on their toes and the actors on their marks. Likewise Matt Starritt’s sound design was seemingly effortless and similarly razor-sharp. Harmony Arnold’s costume design, as always, is spot-on and brilliantly efficient. Finally, reminiscent of “Sealab 2021,” Jennifer Zeyl’s set accommodates the necessities of the script and carries them out with panache.

The production carried out its mission very well; the script however, did not live up to its end of the bargain. The two stories, though based around the same themes of survival, loss, grief etc, are on two completely different levels of urgency and leaves one story feeling discounted and the other feeling as though it must carry a weight that it can in no way bear. While Seattle Rep’s production of boom is polished, entertaining and shows of the designers’ and performers’ skills, but the script, which should be the bedrock of any production, is too confusing for the audience to get anything substantial out of it in the end.

Review by Nigel Andrews and Lia Morgan

INTIMAN THEATRE KICKS OFF ITS HOLIDAY PRODUCTION OF BLACK NATIVITY WITH A TICKET SALE AND COAT/FOOD DRIVE ON SATURDAY, NOV. 22 FROM 12 TO 3 PM, CO-SPONSORED BY SEATTLE MEDIUM, 1420 KRIZ, 1560 KZIZ AND 1620 KYIZ.

SEATTLE—Intiman Theatre will kick off its annual production of Black Nativity with a special ticket sale and holiday coat/food drive on Saturday, November 22. Patrons who donate a coat or non-perishable food item will save $10 per adult ticket for each contributed item.

This special opportunity to save on the most soul-stirring production in Seattle—and make a donation that will help our community stay warm and healthy this winter—will take place at Seattle Center’s Intiman Theatre from noon to 3 pm. Intiman will offer free apple cider and cookies in its decorated lobby.

The event is co-sponsored by the Seattle Medium, 1420 KRIZ, 1560 KZIZ and 1620 KYIZ. Contributed items will be donated through the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County.

Black Nativity, a gospel songfest for the entire family and Seattle tradition for audiences of all faiths, includes gospel favorites performed by Pastor Patrinell Wright and the Black Nativity Choir, and dance from traditional to tap.

Single tickets range in price from $15 to $45, with discounts available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets are available for purchase from www.intiman.org or over the phone from the Ticket Office at 206.269.1900.

Black Nativity will run November 29-December 27 at the Intiman Playhouse, 201 Mercer Street at Seattle Center . The pay-what-you-can performance is Thursday, December 4 at 7:30 pm and the Opening Night Benefit Performance is Friday, December 5 at 8 pm.

Smokey Joe’s Café

6 nights!

December 16–21, 2008

FROM: The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

2033 6^th Avenue, Seattle , WA , 98121

CONTACT: Rachael Millikan, 206-441-9729, rachael@jazzalley.com

RE: Performance at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

COST: $26.50 – 28.50

The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley welcomes back by popular demand the Longest Running Musical Review in the History of Broadway, Smokey Joe’s Café. Cast members are Ron Lucas, Tony Perry, Sophia Fredricks, Famicia Ward, Jonathan Victorian, Toby Blackwell, and TBA. Band members are Darrius Frowner (piano), Gary Ballard (guitar), Larry Holloway (bass) and Milo Petersen (drums). Set times Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Doors open at 6pm on Tuesday and 5:30pm Wednesday through Sunday.

As much as anyone, Leiber and Stoler invented Rock and Roll. Their timeless songs provide the basis for this electrifying entertainment that had critics raving and audiences stampeding the box office during its record-breaking Broadway run. Featuring nearly 40 of the greatest songs ever recorded including such hits as On Broadway, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Stand By Me, Spanish Harlem, Love Potion #9 and I’m a Woman. Each song is a trip down the corridors of American culture. Smokey Joe’s transforms classic pop music into compelling musical theater.

On November 17, 1994 Smokey Joe’s Café began it’s pre-Broadway run at the Ahmanson/Doolittle Center in Los Angeles . It opened at the Virginia Theater on Broadway to rave reviews on March 2, 1995 where it ran for five years to become the longest-running musical review in the history of Broadway and won the Grammy for “Best Musical Show Album” that same year. Between 1994 - 1995 Smokey Joe’s was honored with nominations for seven Tony Awards. Over the years there have been three major national tours, breaking box office records at numerous performing arts centers, as well as resident casts in both Las Vegas and Reno .

The success of this show is in no way limited to the America audience. It played to international audiences in Brisbane and Melbourne , Australia before beginning a two-year run in London ’s West End at the Prince of Wales Theater on October 23, 1996. In 1997 it was nominated for the Sir Laurence Olivier award for “Outstanding Musical Production”.

Since then Smokey Joe’s Café has toured extensively throughout England , Scotland , Ireland , Germany , Switzerland , Japan , South Korea , Brazil and Turkey . The show continues to tour the United States , Canada and around the world.

www.irvingstreetrep.com

The Downtown Holiday Tradition Continues!

ACT’s 33^rd Annual Production of A Christmas Carol

Allen Fitzpatrick and Seán Griffin Take on the Role of Scrooge

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens, adapted by Gregory A. Falls

Directed by Kurt Beattie

Previews: November 28-29, 2008

Opens: November 30, 2008

Closes: December 27, 2008

Tickets

$22 (for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and older) to $47

Discounts for groups of 20 or more are available by calling (253) 839-4204.

New! Holiday Tea with the Fezziwigs, show & event: $60 (child and senior) and $70 (adult). Order by calling (206) 292-7660, ext. 1331.

ACT Theatre

Ticket Office: (206) 292-7676

Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12 noon - 7 p.m.

700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101

www.acttheatre.org

Seattle, WA – November 6, 2008 – Spreading holiday cheer and reminders of good will to all, ACT- A Contemporary Theatre presents its 33^rd annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, adapted by Gregory A. Falls . This year, A Christmas Carol is directed by Kurt Beattie , and features Allen Fitzpatrick and Seán Griffin alternating in the role of Scrooge.

A Seattle holiday tradition since 1976, A Christmas Carol takes audiences along on Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformational journey from selfish tightwad to enlightened soul after a restless evening filled with ghostly visitors from Christmases past, present and future.

New this year, ACT will host a special event perfect for the entire family, Holiday Tea with the Fezziwigs. Families can enjoy tea, cocoa and tasty treats, sing along with carolers and create their own holiday ornament before the 2 p.m. performance on December 6 or 13. Fun for kids from 5 to 95! To order these special tickets, call Kait Peters at (206) 292-7660, x1331.

A Christmas Carol runs November 28 through December 27, 2008. An audio described performance for the blind and visually impaired community is on December 20 at 2:00 p.m. A Christmas Carol is recommended for ages five and up.

taproot theatre features Late-night improv on the mainstage

It’s a Wonderful Improvised Life comes to the stage this December

SEATTLE – November 3, 2008 – Late-Night Improv returns to the Taproot Theatre Mainstage this December—for 3 performances only! Taproot Theatre’s improvisers will entertain audiences with a fun retelling of a Christmas classic. It’s a Wonderful Improvised Life, created by Danny Walter, takes place at Taproot Theatre on December 5, 12 and 19, after the evening performance of the Mainstage production—The Christmas Foundling by Norman Allen and inspired by the stories of Bret Hart—ends.

It’s a Wonderful Improvised Life combines the wacky and wonderful imaginations of the Taproot improvisers with the audience’s suggestions, telling this favorite Christmas story in a whole new way. Using It’s a Wonderful Life as a guide, the actors make every performance unique by soliciting key story elements from the audience’s suggestions. What will happen to Mr. Potter? How about George Bailey? Will Bailey Brothers’ Saving and Loan finally get the respect it deserves? The audience decides! Zu-zu’s petals, it’s going to be a bell-ringing good time!

About Taproot Theatre

Taproot Theatre Company is a professional, non-profit theatre company with a multi-faceted production program. Founded in 1976, Taproot Theatre serves the Pacific Northwest with Mainstage Productions, Touring Productions and Acting Studio. Taproot exists to create theatre that explores the beauty and questions of life while bringing hope to our search for meaning. Taproot Theatre Company is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), Theatre Puget Sound (TPS), and the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce.

The Drowsy Chaperone -- 5th Avenue Theatre

The 5th Avenue Theatre
October 29 - November 16 2008
Tickets and Information


If you’re feeling a little blue at the onset of winter weather, the 5th Avenue Theatre has an antidote for you in The Drowsy Chaperone, a musical comedy that staunchly defends its right to simply be entertaining. The show was originally conceptualized as a bachelor’s party present spoofing the raucous Marx Brothers’ musical comedies, popular in the 1920s. After taking home 5 Tony Awards, the national tour makes its final stop here in Seattle.

The Drowsy Chaperone starts off in the eclectic apartment of the musical theater obsessed Man in Chair (Jonathan Crombie). Fighting off “non-specific sadness,” he asks us to indulge him while he plays his favorite musical, the “classic” Drowsy Chaperone. As soon as he sets needle to record, the show transports itself to his living room—a Broadway story of a young couple on the eve of their wedding. But of course this is a musical comedy in every classic sense, and so catastrophes occur in the form of mistaken identities, random tap numbers, and a drunken diva of a bridesmaid.

However, we would be doing this Tony Award-winning book (by Bob Martin and Don McKellar) and score (Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison) a disservice to categorize them as a ‘classic’ musical. From the first moment of the show, the fourth wall comes “crashing down around us,” as the Man in the Chair talks directly to us, about theater itself. The Man in the Chair is the only real character in the framing play; every other character explodes out of his record collection. In some ways the show is more about the Man than anyone else; throughout the whirligig of color and sound and vaudeville, he interrupts to tell us to watch for his favorite moment, or jumps up to sing and dance along with the others—though they, of course, do not notice his presence. Each time he engages with the “unreal” actors or with us, we learn more about him, and why musicals—especially The Drowsy Chaperone—are so desperately important to him.

Director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw won Tony Awards for both duties, and it is not difficult to see why. Directing a show with two such distinct layers—a one-man show plus a nearly-farcical comedy—needs a careful hand, and the transitions between the two are handled masterfully. The comedic timing of every moment is perfect, to both Nicholaw’s and every actor’s credit, and the precision required for this style is there in spades. The choreography of the internal musical plays off the styles of the 1920s, from a sweeping balcony-set ballad to an impressive tap number, while still looking fresh and interesting.

All of the outrageousness brought by the choreography and performances is matched bar for bar by the clever set and lavish (also Tony Award-winning) costumes. David Gallo’s scenic design constantly transforms the Man in the Chair’s drab furniture and décor into decadent balconies and romantic gardens with the upturn of a Murphy bed or the addition of curtains. Gregg Barnes earns every ounce of his Tony with dozens of sequin-bedazzled gowns and outfits that grace the stage throughout the show. Both artists clearly worked in concert to visually differentiate between the dull reality of the Man in Chair’s apartment and the opulent fantasy of The Drowsy Chaperone.

The Drowsy Chaperone is the epitome of a two-for-one production; as we experience the show in all its glory, we are simultaneously let into the life and journey of one die-hard musical fan. The show manages to be much more profound than perhaps it set out to be; but it lets us reflect, by proxy, on our own hunger for musicals, and why “it’s simply entertaining” is sometimes the best (and most important) reason of all to enjoy one.


Review by Gwynn Garland and Lia Morgan

Henry IV

Seattle Shakespeare Company
October 23 - November 16, 2008
Get tickets online at Seattle Shakes Online

As is the same with every Seattle Shakespeare show I have attended, Henry IV did not disappoint. The twist that was added this night was the binding of parts 1 and 2 of Shakespeare’s piece into 1 night of entertainment. One would think this would make for a long night, but the talent, excitement and energy of the production makes time a non-issue. The cast’s communication not only aids their effectiveness in relating the story, but drives the audience into England and makes the characters come alive.

Henry IV follows the story of King Henry IV (David Pichette) and his relentless struggle with his estranged son, Hal (Tim Gouran), who has given over to a life of drinking and parties with a man named Falstaff (Richard Ziman). As the plot progresses, unrest boils in the King’s realm and Hal is finally forced to face his father and decide how his transition into responsibility and manhood will progress. This powerful interaction brings into question fate, passion, devotion and responsibility, bringing the relation to modern day and human reality to the thoughts of the audience.

Tim Gouran and David Pichette
Photo Credit: John Ulman

The momentum of the production was strong and kept the action moving from scene to scene. Even the set (Pete Rush) and its simple display effectively aids the action, allowing the movement to flow easily from moment to moment while clearly defining the setting. As part of the set, a row of hanging chains plays a pivotal part in fight sequences, heightening the anticipation and artfully bringing a new dynamic to the seating arrangement, which placed two audience spaces facing each other across the stage. Complimented by a descriptive lighting display (Tim Wratten), the story and its concepts were made even clearer and apparent.

This smooth transitional element is also evident in the direction that Stephanie Shine applies to the production. Aside from the difficult blocking that allows both sides of the audience to see the action and experience the emotion, the character development of the key roles, Prince Hal’s move from boy to man and King Henry’s change from ruthless leader to falling legend to name a few, were developed with an ease that speaks to the humanness of the situation.

The aforementioned talent the cast displays is apparent in the way that transition can be made instantaneously between side-splitting humor, which at times manifested itself in skillfully directed eye contact with audience members, and gripping dramatic moments. The beautiful skill of Shakespeare’s writing reflects this quick pace change as the key pivotal moment in the show where Hal hears of the imminent unrest explodes out of a raucous party filled with mocking humor and high frivolity. To follow these very human ideas of frivolous excitement to immense responsibility is a challenge, and one that the production carries through.

Adorned with rich colored costumes (Pete Rush) that accentuate the standing in society and aid the set in telling the story, the cast along with the production crew, design team and all members of the Seattle Shakespeare Company pull off a great evening of talent and entertainment to tickle the senses. Catch Henry IV at the Seattle Center – Center House Theatre Oct. 23 – Nov. 16, 2008.

Reviewed by: Rick Skyler

Becky's New Car - ACT

ACT
October 23 - November 16 2008
Tickets and Information

206 - 292 7676

After a week of previews, Steven Dietz’s Becky’s New Car, a world premiere at ACT and commissioned as a birthday present for a patron’s wife, finally opened to a full house and a well-deserved standing ovation. It also kicked off ACT’s New Works for the American Stage Program. Several more productions are in the works for this new program, giving faithful Seattle theater-goers fresh plays to look forward to in subsequent years.

Becky’s New Car is a comedy, and like all successful comedies it is based in usually painful truth told with often brutal honesty. Becky (Kimberley King), an accountant for a local car dealership, is the typical suburban working mother. She has a reliable husband, Joe (Charles Leggett); a freeloading student son, Chris (Benjamin Harris); and a co-worker friend, Steve (R. Hamilton Wright), who uses Becky as his makeshift grief counselor. All is going predictably ‘okay’, until Walter Flood (Michael Winters), an eccentric billionaire and widower, stumbles into the deserted dealership one night as Becky is working late. Walter’s one misconception and Becky’s missed chance to correct him lead her down an alternate path, into a life very different from the one she is used to- one with the new car smell! Of course, life in comedy is never that easy; the addition of Walter’s daughter Kenni (Anna-Lisa Carlson) and old friend Ginger (Suzanne Bouchard), on top of Becky’s mounting list of cover-ups, ends up in a hilarious disaster.

Photo by Chris Bennion

The foundation of a successful production is always the script; the more rich and colorful the text, the farther the collaborating artists can take the piece. Steven Dietz paints a fearlessly honest portrait of a world where tact is thrown to the wayside and thoughts spew forth like an exploding Sprite can. Dietz’s characters are so carefully constructed that you hardly notice that they are creations at all, until one of them shatters the fourth wall with a polite offer of a soda or a request to collate copies in a file (yes, really!). King herself tells her story directly to the audience, easily shuttling between living room and office with a word to the light booth and a saunter across the stage. The play’s meta-theatrical style draws the audience in, quite literally, to the life of the characters and enhances all of the hilarity that ensues. What is remarkable is that we feel sympathy equally for all parties; every character is a good person with noticeable flaws. This is due both to Dietz’s witty dialogue and the actors’ superb talents.


Director Kurt Beattie (also ACT’s Artistic Director) has done an admirable job choreographing such a madcap comedy, as well as drawing out the best of each performer. In particular, King’s every reaction was completely uninhibited, heightened enough for comedy while still natural enough that we identified with each one. Leggett’s Joe was quietly phenomenal; as each scene unfolds Leggett reveals another layer of character, until we simultaneously admire and pity him. R. Hamilton Wright’s Steve is a tightly wound packet of neurosis and vulnerability; he is constantly reaching out for human contact, but too socially awkward to ever achieve it. It cannot be stated enough that there was not a weak link in this chain of a cast.

As is (almost) always the case at ACT, the technical side of the production is seamlessly integrated with the rest of the show. William Bloodgood’s set is composed of painted car silhouettes, garishly lit car advertisements that flew in and out to represent the dealership, and several smaller pieces that swooped on and offstage, each particular to their respective space but general enough to let the acting carry the scene. Rick Paulsen’s lighting design perfectly complemented the meta-theatrical style of storytelling, at once highlighting individual spaces and evoking a variety of environments, whether the harsh light of an office or the graceful wash of a billionaire’s balcony.


Becky’s New Car is that perfect blend of hilarious comedy and substantial weight, a story about choices and consequences that could believably happen to anyone. And just a tip for those of you who enjoy a cold one with your entertainment: sit in the front row!

Review by Lia Morgan and Gwynn Garland

The Three Musketeers

The Seattle Repertory Theatre
October 2 - November 15, 2008
Tickets Online at: seattlerep.org

As the Seattle Repertory Theatre’s Production of The Three Musketeers unfolded, more than just the actors found humor in the dynamic character interactions and ridiculous succession of plot points. This comedic show carried the audience along, keeping the laughs rolling, the verbal tomato throwing active and the excitement bursting forth. The show made no pretenses as a serious dramatic story, but rather fed off the comedic drive inherent in the writing directing and acting.

From the moment the curtain rose, the audience was pulled into another one of the treats the show had to offer; the various fight scenes, artfully choreographed and consisting of weapons ranging from swords to muskets, and duos to octets. The staging of the fights was done by the renowned Rick Sordelet, fight choreographer for over 40 Broadway shows, including all the Disney shows. This production did not disappoint his reputation, in fact it was so gracefully employed that the plot seemed to stem from the fighting. The action scenes truly knew no bounds and utilized every aspect of the situation available.

One of those situations was the grand and industrial set, designed by John Arnone. With self-gliding props from candles to stairs to an altar that rose like an angel and descends like a demon, the playing space was surprisingly simple for its infinite shapes.

The ensemble worked very well together and played to their end with much gusto. The acting was appropriately overdone, with a laugh around every corner and no joke left un-chewed. With the exception of a few instances that were unnecessarily overblown, the characters fit the action perfectly.

The show meshed period and modern day styles by means of the costuming done by Nan Cibula-Jenkins, blocking and language. The show is suitable for all ages, so if your looking for a night of laughs and a great opportunity to be wowed with humor, come see:

The Three Musketeers

Running October 2- November 15, 2008

And remember, All for one, …well you know the rest.

Reviewed by: Rick Skyler and Frederick Van Englehousen

Weekly Update - 10/10/2008

Lee Center for the Arts
Information
Melancholy Play >November 13 - 23, 2008

Seattle Shakespeare
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW- *NOT SINGLE TICKETS
Henry IV >October 23 - November 16, 2008
The Servant of Two Masters >January 8 - February 1, 2009
The Turn of the Screw >January 13 - 28, 2009
The Merchant of Venice >March 12 - April 5, 2009
The Tempest >June 4 - 28, 2009

Taproot Theater Company
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Susan and God >September 24 - October 24, 2008
Gee's Bend >January 28 - February 28, 2009
Tuesdays With Morrie >March 25 - April 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Days >March 20 - June 20, 2009
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming >July 18 - August 15, 2009
Enchanted April >September 25 - October 24, 2009

Seattle Children's Theater
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Bluenose >October 17 - December 14, 2008
The Wizard of Oz >November 21, 2008 - January 17, 2009
Tomas and the Library Lady >January 9 - March 1, 2009
Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire >January 30 - March 7, 2009
The Tale of Two Cities >March 20 - April 12, 2009
Goodnight Moon >April 10 - June 14, 2009
I Was a Rat! >May 1 - June 14, 2009

Intiman Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
All the King's Men >October 3 - November 8, 2008
Black Nativity >November 29 - December 27, 2008

Seattle Repertory Theatre
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Night Watcher >September 25 - October 26, 2008
The Three Musketeers >October 2 - November 15, 2008
Boom >November 13 - December 14, 2008
You Can't Take It With You >November 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009
Waiting for Godot >January 15 - February 14, 2009
Rollick >February 5 - March 28, 2009
The Seafarer >February 26 - March 28, 2009
Betrayal >March 26 - April 26, 2009
Wishful Drinking >April 2 - May 3, 2009

ACT Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
PROJECT ORPHEUS >September 13 - October 4 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm)
Becky's New Car >October 17 - November 16, 2008

Seattle Opera
ALL ON SALE NOW
Elektra >October 18 - November 1, 2008
Pearl Fishers >January 10 - 24, 2009
Bluebeard's Castle & Erwartung >February 21 - March 7, 2009
Marriage of Figaro >May 2 - 16, 2009

Paramount
ALL ON SALE NOW
A Chorus Line >August 5 - 10, 2008
The Phantom of the Opera >September 10 - October 4, 2008
Spring Awakening >October 14 - 19, 2008
The Color Purple >December 16 - 28, 2008

The 5th Avenue Theatre
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
SINGLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR SHREK AND THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
The Drowsy Chaperone >October 28 - November 16, 2008
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers >December 3 - 28, 2008 - on sale Sep. 19
Memphis >January 27 - February 15, 2008, 2009 - on sale Sep. 19
Hello, Dolly! >March 8 - 29, 2009 - on sale Jan. 9
Sunday in the Park With George >April 21 - May 10, 2009 - on sale Jan. 9
Grease >May 12 - 30, 2009 - on sale Feb. 6

__________________________________________________________

Dimitrou's Jazz Alley
Tickets and Information

Want Salon Quality Hair Services for a Fraction of the Cost?
Gary Manuel Aveda Institute

Looking for a Great Read?
Brett Dean McGibbon's Different Fish Bookstore

Weekly Update - 10/3/2008

Weekly Update - 9/26/2008

Lee Center for the Arts
Information
UNREGISTERED: a political cabaret >Saturday Night Only!

Seattle Shakespeare
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW- *NOT SINGLE TICKETS
Henry IV >October 23 - November 16, 2008
The Servant of Two Masters >January 8 - February 1, 2009
The Turn of the Screw >January 13 - 28, 2009
The Merchant of Venice >March 12 - April 5, 2009
The Tempest >June 4 - 28, 2009

ReAct
ON SALE NOW
Last Five Years >September 18 - October 10, 2008

Taproot Theater Company
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Susan and God >September 24 - October 24, 2008
Gee's Bend >January 28 - February 28, 2009
Tuesdays With Morrie >March 25 - April 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Days >March 20 - June 20, 2009
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming >July 18 - August 15, 2009
Enchanted April >September 25 - October 24, 2009

Seattle Children's Theater
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Bluenose >October 17 - December 14, 2008
The Wizard of Oz >November 21, 2008 - January 17, 2009
Tomas and the Library Lady >January 9 - March 1, 2009
Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire >January 30 - March 7, 2009
The Tale of Two Cities >March 20 - April 12, 2009
Goodnight Moon >April 10 - June 14, 2009
I Was a Rat! >May 1 - June 14, 2009

Intiman Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
All the King's Men >October 3 - November 8, 2008
Black Nativity >November 29 - December 27, 2008

Seattle Repertory Theatre
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Night Watcher >September 25 - October 26, 2008
The Three Musketeers >October 2 - November 15, 2008
Boom >November 13 - December 14, 2008
You Can't Take It With You >November 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009
Waiting for Godot >January 15 - February 14, 2009
Rollick >February 5 - March 28, 2009
The Seafarer >February 26 - March 28, 2009
Betrayal >March 26 - April 26, 2009
Wishful Drinking >April 2 - May 3, 2009

ACT Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
Eurydice >September 5 - October 5, 2008
PROJECT ORPHEUS >September 13 - October 4 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm)
Becky's New Car >October 17 - November 16, 2008

Seattle Opera
ALL ON SALE NOW
Elektra >October 18 - November 1, 2008
Pearl Fishers >January 10 - 24, 2009
Bluebeard's Castle & Erwartung >February 21 - March 7, 2009
Marriage of Figaro >May 2 - 16, 2009

Paramount
ALL ON SALE NOW
A Chorus Line >August 5 - 10, 2008
The Phantom of the Opera >September 10 - October 4, 2008
Spring Awakening >October 14 - 19, 2008
The Color Purple >December 16 - 28, 2008

The 5th Avenue Theatre
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
SINGLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR SHREK AND THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
The Drowsy Chaperone >October 28 - November 16, 2008
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers >December 3 - 28, 2008 - on sale Sep. 19
Memphis >January 27 - February 15, 2008, 2009 - on sale Sep. 19
Hello, Dolly! >March 8 - 29, 2009 - on sale Jan. 9
Sunday in the Park With George >April 21 - May 10, 2009 - on sale Jan. 9
Grease >May 12 - 30, 2009 - on sale Feb. 6

__________________________________________________________

Dimitrou's Jazz Alley
Tickets and Information

Want Salon Quality Hair Services for a Fraction of the Cost?
Gary Manuel Aveda Institute

Looking for a Great Read?
Brett Dean McGibbon's Different Fish Bookstore

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