Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Mary Jane at Seattle Rep 🎭 starring Brenda Joyner in a quietly devastating play about the invisible weight of long-term caregiving family members. A story of resilience and human connection for people dealt an impossible hand in life. Timely reminder that the USA desperately needs universal healthcare. Neat set transition between dirty apartment to sterile hospital.
Recommendation: See it if you’re okay with plays that are kind of a downer.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No, but it wasn’t bad.
Mainstream Appeal: Low to medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Mary Jane follows a poor single mother navigating the relentless demands of caring for her child with cerebral palsy largely on her own.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Mary Jane is a cheerful caregiver and unflagging advocate for her toddler, Alex, who lives with cerebral palsy and chronic illness—but the American healthcare system can wear anybody down, especially a single parent. While navigating her son’s health challenges, Mary Jane meets and builds community with women from all walks of life, experiencing joy and connection amidst the distress and heartbreak. Poignantly humorous and deeply cathartic, this semi-autobiographical drama by Tony-nominated playwright Amy Herzog is a love letter to caregivers and support systems of all kinds.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Few
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Two
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Mostly static except for a single moment when an apartment transformed into a hospital waiting room
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None
Defined Plot/Storyline: It was more dialogue than action
Union Actor(s): 4
Total Actor(s): 5
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? No
Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 minutes
Other Rave(s)
Human Resilience: This was an eye-opening play that illuminated the quiet, unglamorous struggles of caregivers taking care of disabled family members. It can certainly be extended to adult children caring for aging parents. What struck me most was Mary Jane’s (played by Brenda Joyner) extraordinary positivity in the face of genuinely shitty circumstances. She had a disabled child who could not communicate, a partner who left because of the child, and financial precarity as a constant backdrop. Her responses to crisis were admirable, calm, and even slightly positive. It was the composed face of someone who learned that falling apart is a luxury she cannot afford. The play’s most wonderfully tense moment was a seizure scene that sent one character into a panic while Mary Jane held it together with a strong single mother front. I surely would have freaked out myself.
Human Connection: The theme of community and support was one of the play’s most affecting threads. It was a reminder that it really does “take a village” in this life. A particularly heartbreaking scene was when Mary Jane counseled a newly-initiated cerebral palsy mom (played by Andi Alhadeff). It laid bare the troubling fact that the knowledge caregivers need to survive is still passed informally person-to-person because the documentation and broader systems of support simply aren’t there. Sufferers must teach other sufferers to ensure survival.
Stage Mechanics: Lately, I’ve noticed Seattle Rep has developed a real flair for transformative sets that make a statement through their movement. In this show, scenic designer Julia Hayes Welch conceptualized a dingy New York City apartment that opened up mid-play into a sterile hospital waiting area. It reminded me of the rotating stage in Seattle Rep’s previous Mother Russia and Blues for an Alabama Sky. Or the police car and rising patio wall in Seattle Rep’s Laughs in Spanish. It’s becoming a signature of the Seattle Rep’s productions.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Dialogue Play: I’m typically not drawn to dialogue-heavy plays, but I didn’t even register that Mary Jane was one until after the show. This is an indicator that the absence of conventional action didn’t feel like a deficit in the script.
Title: “Mary Jane” was a slightly puzzling choice for a title and character name. The title primed me for a marijuana subplot (which is a reasonable assumption for a Seattle audience) that never materialized. Whether the title was meant to signal something more symbolic, I’m still not sure. It felt like an opportunity for a stronger signal.
HIPAA: The script implied that the home nurse (played by Shaunyce Omar) shared patient information with her niece. As a healthcare professional, I can’t help but wonder if HIPAA was followed!
Ending (Limited Spoilers): The ending was the play’s weirdest moment. It was abrupt, anticlimactic, and oddly fixated on a thread that had received little development earlier in the script. The fate of the son was never clearly resolved, and the final note left me searching for an ultimate message. Was it “there is beauty in pain?”
Theatre Company: Seattle Rep
Venue: Leo Kreielsheimer Theater at Seattle Rep
Venue Physical Address: 155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109
Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also plentiful street parking around Safeway. If there’s an event in Seattle Center or Climate Pledge Arena, street parking is usually limited and much more expensive.
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Photos: See production photos below by Sayed Alamy.
Cast and Production Team: See after photos below.
Brenda Joyner in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Lighting Design by Connie Yun. Photo by Sayed Alamy.Anteia Delaney, Brenda Joyner, and Shaunyce Omar in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Scenic Design by Julia Hayes Welch. Photo by Sayed Alamy.Brenda Joyner and Andi Alhadeff in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Photo by Sayed Alamy.Amy Thone and Brenda Joyner in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Scenic Design by Julia Hayes Welch. Photo by Sayed Alamy.Amy Thone and Brenda Joyner in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Photo by Sayed Alamy.Brenda Joyner and Anteia Delaney in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Costume Design by Heidi Zamora. Photo by Sayed Alamy.Brenda Joyner and Shaunyce Omar in MARY JANE (2026) at Seattle Rep. Photo by Sayed Alamy.
@showsiveseen "Les Misérables" #musical 🎭 national tour from Broadway Across America, Seattle Theatre Group, and Cameron Mackintosh. Starring @Nick Cartell. Golden voices. Glorious ensemble. Seamless scene transitions. Judicious use of projections & spotlights. Even the guy behind me was barely containing his excitement. "To love another person is to see the face of God!" Closes 4/19/26. Review: showsiveseen.com/15056 Resident Director: Kyle Timson Stage Mgr: Kenneth J Davis and Tara Tolar-Payne Music Director: Glenn Alexander II #LesMiserables#theatre#musicaltheatre#lesmis @lesmisofficial ♬ original sound – lesmisofficial
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Les Misérables 🎭 national tour from Broadway Across America, Seattle Theatre Group, and Cameron Mackintosh. Starring Nick Cartell. Golden voices. Glorious ensemble. Seamless scene transitions. Judicious use of projections & spotlights. Even the guy behind me was barely containing his excitement. “To love another person is to see the face of God!” Closes 4/19/26.
Recommendation: See it if you’re okay with visually dark musicals.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, this is probably the 5th time I’ve seen this musical. I last saw the national tour at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Probably not … 5 times is enough for me.
Mainstream Appeal: Medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean, a convict on the run whose only crime was stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. Set against the turbulent backdrop of nineteenth-century France, the story weaves together the struggles of the “miserable” downtrodden working class with the idealism and tragedy of the June Rebellion of 1832.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Still the world’s most popular musical. Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award®-winning musical phenomenon, LES MISÉRABLES. This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “LES MIS for the 21st Century” (Huffington Post), “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph) and “one of the greatest musicals ever created” (Chicago Tribune). Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption–a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 22 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals.”
Type: Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Dynamic
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None, but you’ll probably appreciate this more if you read the book.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Union Actor(s): All
Total Actor(s): Too many to count
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Other Rave(s)
Ensemble: The full ensemble numbers were consistently the show’s most thrilling moments. From the grim urgency of “Look Down” to the glorious “At the End of the Day,” Each full-cast sequence carried the sweeping weight you’d expect from an epic musical.
Magical Transitions: Scene transitions were seamless, never pulling focus from the real action. The blocking itself felt almost magical at times when actors materialized out of nowhere like when the wedding scene opened, or when characters eerily emerged from the sewer. Where many national tours lean too heavily on projections as a crutch, projection designer Finn Ross and 59 Productions created them with restraint and imagination. It was particularly clever when they zoomed the projection in and out to simulate movement through the sewer or village while actors marched in place creating a simple illusion that worked beautifully. The standout moment was during a fall into the water with an actor suspended mid-air against a crashing-wave projection backdrop.
Female Leads: Lindsay Heather Pearce brought radiant clarity to the iconic “I Dreamed a Dream.” Her voice was as golden as her signature locks. Jaedynn Latter matched her in pure emotional power with a stunning “On My Own,” building to a climactic moment that sent the audience wild. The only thing stopping her extended ovation was the cast and orchestra pressing forward into the next scene. The brief, sweet harmony shared by Fantine and Eponine near the show’s close felt like the perfect finishing touch. The electricity in the house was palpable throughout the show. And the man seated behind me was practically vibrating with restrained enthusiasm, clearly fighting every instinct to cheer at full voice out of respect for theatre etiquette.
Rant(s)
Ground Action: The production made frequent use of low, ground-level movement as actors crouched, crawled, or collapsed in anguish. At many venues, this would have been read as striking movement design. But, at the Paramount Theatre, it became a persistent frustration. All the seats in the Paramount Theatre are infamous for its shallow slope. Anyone seated in the orchestra level will spend much of the show staring at the backs of heads when so much action unfolds at the stage foot level.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
The Look and Sound: This musical is notorious for its deliberately dark, austere aesthetic by Matt Kinley. While it’s not my taste, I can appreciate its intent. The gloom did create a practical frustration though. At stage distance, distinguishing actors’ faces is already a challenge, and the shadowy palette compounded this further.
Yet the darkness earned its merits. The lighting design by Paule Constable found real power against such a somber backdrop. For example, the single quiet shaft of light through the church window carried unexpected weight. Plus, the brightness of the wedding scene felt genuinely celebratory by contrast to the rest of the show. And the spotlights during the rebellion sequence were deployed with stark clinical precision as each beam isolated a fighter at the moment they were shot, so the audience felt every death individually.
Meanwhile, the audio was nothing short of spectacular. The voices, music, and sound design were an almost ironic counterpoint to the visual restraint. The audio was rich and expansive while the staging was dull and dreary. It was bold artistic tension.
Fire: Speaking of the rebel fight sequence, the production made the bold choice of using real gunpowder and open flame onstage. The acrid smell drifted through the audience to add a visceral and immersive edge to the chaos. I didn’t know whether to count it as plus for atmosphere or a negative for second-hand smoke health hazard!
Speed and Punctuality: This production was unusually preoccupied with a sense of punctuality that I’ve rarely encountered, including on Broadway. The show started just two minutes after the scheduled time, which is virtually unheard of these days. Most shows don’t get going until at least 5 minutes past. The consequence was real as a significant number of latecomers scrambled to find their seats. The resulting commotion of flashlights, glowing phone screens, and “excuse me” chatter was jarringly distracting during one of my favorite moments (“At the End of the Day” song).
The clock-watching didn’t stop there. Intermission ended with the same brisk efficiency, which again is unusual for any production, let alone on opening night. A few numbers like “A Little Fall of Rain” felt slightly rushed, as though the cast were racing the clock rather than letting the music breathe. Additionally, the production seemed almost allergic to extended ovations, cutting off the applause before the audience had a chance to fully express itself.
There’s something to be said for respecting people’s time, but a live theatrical experience has its own rhythm. Being too rigid or lax with the clock has its own costs. It’s a tight balancing act.
Child Actors: Cute children on-stage have always struck me as a crutch. It’s a cheap way to pander sympathy from the audience who mistakes sentimentality for genuine theatrical merit. Regardless of the child actor, year after year, the national tour always seems to introduce young Cosette with a cutesy baby voice that is as gratuitous as Gretl von Trapp from The Sound of Music film. I won’t be fooled!
Reader Comment from Social Media (4/11/26): “…I just want to say I was so hurt by your review. If you do not like shows that feature children, why bother reviewing them? Your comments were absolutely cruel and unnecessary. Next time remember these are real people you are speaking about and not just people you saw once on a stage. My daughter is amazing and incredibly talented. She’s brave enough to get up on a stage in front of thousands of people. She’s a rockstar and is going to do amazing things someday.”
My Response (4/11/26): “Thank you for the engagement. To answer your question, I continue reviewing productions that include children because my rants/raves on artistic merits extend well beyond any single character, as you can see from the rest of my review.
My comments on child actors were a critique at directors and creative teams who, production after production, present young Cosette as calculatedly adorable rather than as the traumatized abused child the character actually is. It’s a storytelling choice that I find dramatically dishonest, and it’s a rant I’d raise regardless of who was cast in the role. It was never a personal attack of your daughter.
That said, I do recognize [your daughter] is a real person, and I’d genuinely be curious to see her in a role that allows her to showcase her dramatic range where charm isn’t the point. That’s when a young actor’s real abilities tend to reveal themselves.
Performing on a national tour is a remarkable achievement and I applaud anybody brave enough to perform on-stage. But public performance at the national/global level naturally invites public critique. That’s true for every performer on that stage, child or adult. [Your daughter] is already doing amazing things today that most people couldn’t even dream of ever doing. I hope she continues performing, grows a thick skin, and one day lands a role that showcases the full range of her talent.”
A Puzzling Triumph: This musical remains an enigma to me. It’s baffling how a story steeped in misery has become one of the most enduring hits in theatre history. Audiences surely attend theatre to escape their troubles, not to have their troubles reflected back at them in song. Somehow it works with Les Misérables.
This production brought its own quirks to the table. The innkeeper’s wife was delivered with what can only be described as a faint American country twang. It was an unexpected curious choice, but not ruinous.
However, my longest-standing frustration still persists after at least five viewings – I still cannot understand the final choices made by both protagonist and antagonist. The reasons for their ultimate actions seemed inadequate for the gravity of their choices.
Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group
Venue: Paramount Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price Range: $85.60 – 230
Ticket Affordability Options: Seattle Theatre Group might partner with an organization you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, I believe UW employees/students are still eligible for an organization discount.
Seating: Assigned Seats
Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the former Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.
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“One Day More” from LES MISERABLES (Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras). Photo: Matthew Murphy. “Bring Him Home” – Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES. Photo: Matthew Murphy. “Stars” –Hayden Tee as Javert in LES MISERABLES. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade“I Dreamed A Dream” – Lindsay Heather Pearce as Fantine in LES MISERABLES. Photo: Matthew Murphy. “Beggars at the Feast” from LES MISERABLES. Photo: Matthew Murphy. “The Barricade” – Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras and company in LES MISERABLES. Photo: Matthew Murphy.(From L) Alexa Lopez as Cosette, Jaedynn Latter as Éponine, Peter Neureuther as Marius and Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES. Photo: Matthew Murphy.Credits from the printed ENCORE program.Credits from the printed ENCORE program.Credits from the printed ENCORE program.Credits from the printed ENCORE program.
Just caught Robin Hood at Seattle Children’s Theatre! ⚔️ Arjun Pande led this charming production with realistic fight choreography from Ian Bond with the kids even asking the actors if they got hurt. The show pulled the audience into the action with pantomime energy. Literary narration in the style of Book-it Repertory Theatre. Timely story in light of this crooked administration. Free lemonade didn’t hurt either! 🍋 Closes 5/10/26.
Happy closing weekend to Seattle Children Theatre’s production of the Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story play. Keiko Green’s charming, hopeful, and relatable script about the Asian American experience that even adults can enjoy. Starring the toned, charismatic Michelangelo Hyeon. Mortal Combat-like fight choreography by Jen Pan. Neat water portrayals. 🐉
