Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Black & Tan musical at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. BiPOC perspectives on Seattle’s history centered around a famous interracial jazz nightclub. Promising dancers w/ graceful silhouettes & moves. #black #POC
Type: Musical-ish Show
Other Rant(s)
Needs better lighting placement and timing.
Awkward scene transition pauses.
Vocals and music were recorded which is more drag show than musical.
Needs more backstage staff so the actors don’t move props and contribute to scene pauses.
Other Rave(s)
It was free to the public! 🙂
Theatre Company : Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
Venue: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
Venue Physical Address: 104 17th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Price: Free!
Dates: October 15 – 16, 2022
Seating: General admission
Parking and Cost: Free on either the Langston Hughes Performing Arts parking lot or the street
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway play at Paramount Theatre & Seattle Theatre Group. Delightful accents. Loved the 3 precocious young narrators esp Dill. Powerful commentary on racism especially when naive Atticus broke the 4th wall. Reminds me that there are far worse areas than woke PNW.
Type: Play
Recommendation: See it!
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was done professionally again.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.5 stars
Other Thought(s) – Full disclosure, I didn’t read the book. Gasp!
Who was the killer? Did the author leave it open-ended on purpose or did I just miss that detail?
Who was the crazy guy? They needed to give him or or his background more airtime for those who didn’t read the book.
Theatre Company : Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway at the Parmount
Venue: Paramount Theatre – 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price: $$$$ (Expensive)
Dates: October 11 – 16, 2022
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Street or Garage. I like the old convention center garage w/ the entrance on Pike and 9th.
Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and The Company of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Julieta CervantesAnthony Natale (“Link Deas”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”), Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”) and Justin Mark (“Jem Finch”). Photo by Julieta CervantesMelanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”). Photo by Julieta CervantesYaegel T. Welch (“Tom Robinson”), Stephen Elrod, Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”) and Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”). Photo by Julieta CervantesJustin Mark (“Jem Finch”), Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”). Photo by Julieta CervantesJacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”). Photo by Julieta CervantesMelanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”). Photo by Julieta CervantesArianna Gayle Stucki (“Mayella Ewell”), Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Stephen Elrod (“Bailiff”), Richard Poe (“Judge Taylor”), Greg Wood (“Mr. Roscoe”) and Joey Collins (“Bob Ewell”). Photo by Julieta CervantesTravis Johns (“Boo Radley”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”), Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”) and Justin Mark (“Jem Finch”). Photo by Julieta CervantesJacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”). Photo by Julieta CervantesRichard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Yaegel T. Welch (“Tom Robinson”) and The Company of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Julieta CervantesMelanie Moore (“Scout Finch”). Photo by Julieta CervantesMary Badham (“Mrs. Henry Dubose”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Clue: On Stage comedy murder mystery play at The Phoenix Theatre. Based on the boardgame & film. Fast-paced energetic rhythm. Complex set impressively built on a tiny stage. Butler, call girl, & colonel were a delight. Packed audience. Playbill was a nice touch. #blackmail #slapstick #whodunit
Type: Play
Recommendation: See it if you like wacky whodunit plays
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was done professionally.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars
Theatre Company : The Phoenix Theatre
Venue: The Phoenix Theatre – 9673 Firdale Ave, Edmonds, WA 98020
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Last Days of Judas Iscariot play w/ Tacoma Arts Live at Tacoma Armory. Novel perspectives on Christianity. Best line was “I am erect!” Stunningly-designed experience from the lobby to the theatre. Modern angular courtroom stage/set was made to catwalk. Appreciated the ample seat legroom. #court #trial #purgatory
Type: Play
Recommendation: See it if you have some Christian background or education … regardless of if you’re a Christian today.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars
Other Rant(s)
The duration was too long. Including intermission, I think it was more than 3 hours.
The chairs were uncomfortable. I heard several attendees sitting around me say this as well.
The unique acoustics of the Tacoma Armory made it difficult to understand the dialogue occasionally. Maybe modify the speaker placement. It didn’t help that some lights or speakers contained noisy fans.
Understanding the play requires some Christianity knowledge (bonus points if you have Catholic background). People who didn’t attend church growing up or who didn’t study religion will find it difficult to enjoy this play.
While I appreciate representation of “my people,” did they really need to make the ultimate villian of all time (Satan) flamboyant?
Other Rave(s)
I LOVED their makeover on the Tacoma Armory. They could definitely reuse the design (from the lobby to the stage) in a fashion show. It actually reminded me of a major Seattle fashion show I attended years ago.
What a huge varied interesting cast for a local show!
Theatre Company : Tacoma Arts Live
Venue: Tacoma Armory – 1001 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405
Price: $$ (Medium)
Dates: October 14 – 23, 2022
Seating: General Admission (Two Tiers) – Get the more expensive tier A (aka GA1)! I was in the lower tier seats and saw a lot of actors’ backs. If you’re in the higher tier, you’ll sit on the side of the catwalk which is closer to the actors where you’ll see less backs.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Night with the Russells show at Taproot Theatre by one of Seattle theatre scene’s most prominent performer families today. Variety concert w/ Christian, Jamaican, pop culture, & Broadway music hits. Thrilled that they included a song from Aida. #showtunes #musicals #family
Type: Concert
Recommendation: See it if you’re familiar with the Russells and their work in the Seattle theatre scene.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars
Other Rant(s)
Stick with the forehead microphones. The switching between handheld and forehead microphones was distracting. Plus, the handheld microphones sounded like karaoke.
I loved that Sarah Russell sang something from the Aida musical. But please choose a more accessible/catchy/recognizable song than “Easy as Life!” Maybe “Written in the Stars,” “The Gods Love Nubia,” or “Elaborate Lives.”
Theatre Company : Taproot Theatre
Venue: Taproot Theatre – 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
L to R: Faith Bennett Russell, Be Russell, and Sarah Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.Faith Bennett Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.L to R: Sarah Russell, Be Russell, and Faith Bennett Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.Be Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.
