Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Humbug play at Renton Civic Theatre. Modern take of A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is a cutthroat career-obsessed woman. Terminator was the ghost of #Christmas future! #theatre #CharlesDickens #xmas
Synopsis from the Theatre: As A Christmas Carol with a modern-day twist, Humbug follows the story of Eleanor Scrooge, a ruthlessly ambitious Wall Street executive who has an aversion to Christmas and an insatiable appetite for power. Locked in her office on a snowy Christmas Eve, Eleanor is determined to finish a corporate-takeover proposal until three “advisors” provide her with an eye-opening new appreciation for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. An upbeat and moving adaptation of Dickens’ holiday classic, Humbug is one for the ages. With a contemporary flair, it is a tale the whole family will enjoy!
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Recommendation: See it if you like A Christmas Carol and you like supporting community theatre
Equity Actors: 0
Length: 75 minutes
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Favorite Line: When asked to help a man who collapsed, the ghost of Christmas present said “Back in my day we just bled em!”
Rant(s)
Scenic Design: I have a hard time believing the set depicted a 16th floor high rise office. It looked more like the first story of a building in historic downtown.
Theatre Company : Renton Civic Theatre
Venue: Renton Civic Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 507 S 3rd St, Renton, WA 98057
Price: Cheap
Dates: December 2 to December 17, 2022
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Free street parking – I usually park West of the theatre on Morris Ave.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Austen Unbound improv at Book-It Repertory Theatre. Hilarious parody-like ephemeral variations in Jane Austen’s signature style. The audience chose a play called “Tranquility & Travesty.” Impressive diction. Elizabeth Brammer was reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennett. All-knowing Elicia Wickstead was a hoot! Beautiful, #feminine, & warm scenic design/lighting. #improvisation #theatre #Regency
Synopsis from the Theatre: Austen Unbound is Book-It Repertory Theatre’s first long-form improvised play. At each performance of this show, the ensemble will create an entirely new story, set in the style and genre of the beloved author’s works. Audiences will feel like they are watching a play based off a never-before published Jane Austen novel, as the improvisational actors transport them to the drawing rooms and manor houses of the Regency era. The wit and wisdom of Jane Austen will resonate with audiences as they experience new characters and stories in this “unscripted” play, which will be a unique story each night (based on suggestions given from the audience). There is nothing better in the darkening days of late Fall than a little romance, a little fantasy, and little escape. Jane Austen gives contemporary audiences just that, and improvisation brings fun to a whole new level. With the world still reeling from crisis, we feel a show that embodies the juxtaposition of order and structure, which the Regency is famous for, with the unplanned and inspired, which improv allows us, is the perfect way to get us ready to head into the holiday season.
Reviewed Performance: 12/8 Evening
Type: Improvised Play
World Premiere: Technically, every performance in this improvised play is a world premiere!
Recommendation: See it if you’ve read a Jane Austen book or seen a movie/show based on her book. You might also enjoy this if you like Downton Abbey.
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: I’m very curious to see how they would improvise another major author’s style like Agatha Christie.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 4 out of 8 – Some of the non-Equity actors had better performances (or roles?) than some of the Equity actors!
Length: 90 minutes
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Favorite Line: “He spoke two languages: Spanish and dance.”
Twirl: It was hilarious how they were marveling over how fast and heady the new dance move was. It was basically a regular twirl.
Humor: The play was so funny that the actors were close to breaking character in a fit of laughter.
Diction: Some of the actors must be voracious Regency novels readers. Their word choices were very fitting for Jane Austen’s style. I can’t believe Nathan Cox was able to fit in “apiary” in his dialogue!
Actor Highlights: I’m amazed at how Elizabeth Brammer assimilated long Jane Austen-esqe soliloquies on the spot while frequently using the audience-chosen words. Elicia Wickstead as the all-knowing aunt was a hoot! When Kyle Henick asked an audience member before the second act who they wanted to see first, they immediately said “the aunt!”
Scenic Design: Sparse but very elegant and well-lit.
Other Thought(s)
Stiffness: One of the actor’s performance was stiff literally (in gait) and figuratively (in speech). I couldn’t determine if this was intentional or not. Are Jane Austen’s male characters typically this stiff?
Possibility of Audience Plant: Each performance is different based on audience responses. In the beginning, Kyle Henick asked the audience to choose a letter then choose 2 words that Jane Austen would use. The audience chose “T” then “tranquility” and “travesty.” So the actors performed a play called “Tranquility and Travesty” (like Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice) and the actors mentioned those words frequently throughout the play. It made me wonder if there were plants in the audience to shout out words. What if the audience yelled out words that weren’t Jane Austen-like such as “technology” and “tropical?”
Degree of Improvisation: I could tell this was improvised since actors sometimes nearly broke character in laughter. But I find it hard to believe the entire play was improvised … if it was, then color me impressed! For example, surely they at least practiced the dance. And I feel like many of the Jane Austen tropes had to be pre-discussed. The skeleton outline of scenes or events must have also been been pre-planned to make a cohesive story right? Leave me a comment in my social media links below on your thoughts!
Impermanence: Sadly, improv plays are meant to be ephemeral in nature. The performance I saw will not be the same as the performance you’ll see. I guess that’s part of the magic of live theatre!
Theatre Company : Book-It Repertory Theatre
Venue: Center Theatre at Seattle Center Armory
Venue Physical Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109
Price: Medium
Dates: November 30 to December 18, 2022
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Paid street parking or paid lot/garage parking. I usually like to park on the street near the skating park (313 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109) East of the theatre.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Christmas Story play (based on the movie) at Tacoma Little Theatre . Funny narration, delightful Randy, & cool rotating stage. “You’ll shoot your eye out!” #xmas #theatre
Synopsis from the Theatre: Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940’s follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus himself. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” All the elements from the beloved movie are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; and Ralphie’s father winning a leg lamp.
Reviewed Performance: 12/10 Evening
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Recommendation: See it if either 1) you like traditional family-friendly Christmas plays 2) or you like the original movie.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4.25 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 0
Length: 2 hours
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Favorite Line: Something like “Are you Democrat or Republican? I’m Presbyterian.”
Rant(s)
Santa: Santa was hidden inside a department store North Pole set so the audience never saw him but we heard his voice.
Other Thought(s)
Relatability: The script didn’t seem very relatable to POCs or younger theatre-goers like myself. Maybe I’d feel differently if I moved to the Midwest.
Theatre Company : Tacoma Little Theatre
Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403
Price: Cheap
Dates: December 2 – 24, 2022
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors have a free parking lot access agreement.
The Old Man (Andrew Fry), Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), Randy (Gavin Weston) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)Flick (Jack Burns), Schwartz (Fletcher Kelley) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), The Old Man (Andrew Fry) & Ralph (Blake R. York)Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), The Old Man (Andrew Fry) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), Ralphie (Tyler Weston) & The Old Man (Andrew Fry)The Old Man (Andrew Fry) & Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn)Schwartz (Fletcher Kelley), Flick (Jack Burns) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)The Old Man (Andrew Fry), Ralphie (Tyler Weston), Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn) & Randy (Gavin Weston)Ralph (Blake R. York), The Old Man (Andrew Fry), Ralphie (Tyler Weston), Randy (Gavin Weston) & Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn)Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), Ralphie (Tyler Weston) & The Old Man (Andrew Fry)Ralphie (Tyler Weston), Flick (Jack Burns) & Schwartz (Fletcher Kelley)The Old Man (Andrew Fry), Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), Randy (Gavin Weston) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)Randy (Gavin Weston), Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), The Old Man (Andrew Fry) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)Mother (Heidi Walworth-Horn), Randy (Gavin Weston), The Old Man (Andrew Fry) & Ralphie (Tyler Weston)
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Land Of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker by Lily Verlaine & Jasper McCann @ The Triple Door. Stunning costumes (that came off). Impressive dance skill/choreography. Titillating risque glamorous alternative to the same tired old family friendly traditional Christmas shows. Swinging jazz band alone is worth the admission.#ballet #xmas
Synopsis from the Theatre: Seattle’s “Most Glamorous Holiday Tradition” returns to the Triple Door for its sixteenth astounding season! Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann are elated to announce the return of their award-winning wintertime spectacle, Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker. Voted “The Best Burlesque In Western Washington” (King 5), Land Of The Sweets has delighted tens of thousands of holiday revelers since 2006. All your favorite characters will be back, including Lily Verlaine’s Sugar Plum Fairy, the light-juggling magic of Babette La Fave, the ever-lovable Snowflakes… and of course the swinginest band in the Land, The Nutcracker Nonette! Not content to rest on their laurels, Verlaine & McCann have been working tirelessly to make 2022’s season memorable and electrifying for our new and returning guests. The cast will feature a number of fresh new faces this year (some from the most recent production of Verlaine & McCann’s Through The Looking Glass) to kick up their heels with superstar veterans like Paris Original and Viola Vector. And who knows… you might be in the audience to see a surprise appearance by a Seattle ballet star in a rotating cavalcade of Rat Kings! Lots of other surprises await… so prepare to be enchanted by Land Of The Sweets like never before! We can’t wait to see all our family, fans, and friends this holiday season for the production that Seattle Metropolitan Magazine calls “December’s best date night”! With 29 performances, tickets will go fast… Come “Swing in the Season” and celebrate the holidays with us!
Reviewed Performance: 12/7 Opening Night
Type: Burlesque Show
World Premiere: No
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes, with a big band feel of the big city!
Recommendation: See it if either 1) you like burlesque 2) you’re tired of the same old basic traditional family friendly boring Christmas shows like The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol 3) or you want to see a spectacle to accompany your food/drinks and live music.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: N/A but they were all very good. I don’t think they typically track this for non-plays or non-musicals.
Length: 2 hours
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Reverse Burlesque: Usually you see clothes come off in burlesque. There was a neat act (maybe “The Baroness of Bon-Bons?”) that performed the opposite where they started with a woman in only pasties and dressed her up.
Favorite Line: Something like “Rats, mice, shoes, oh my! Sounds like a Disney movie with a fetish.”
Nutcracker Ballet Influence: The live band songs were derived from melodies in the traditional Tchaikovsky Nutcracker ballet suite. They should really sell a recording of their songs. The music in my video below is similar to what you’ll hear in this show. Additionally, the choreographer Lily Verlaine incorporated ballet heavily into this performance to still maintain that Nutcracker feel.
Bullfighter Act: Very cute segment of the show
Emcee: Joel Domenico occasionally sang throughout the show with his golden voice.
Inclusivity: In true Seattle fashion, the show also included a man in drag and a woman who wasn’t pencil thin.
Rant(s)
Mask: Was it really necessary for the emcee to wear a mask when he walked throughout the audience to sing? He wasn’t really protecting himself if he didn’t wear an N95. And it wasn’t worth protecting the audience since most of the waiters were already unmasked. Plus, I’d venture to say 90% of the audience was already unmasked since they were drinking and eating. For the record, I’m not an anti-masker and I actually still wear an N95 in most performances that don’t require the audience to mask up since getting sick would mess up by busy theatre schedule, which has lately been 4-5 shows per week.
Tap Dance Shoes: I’m always ecstatic when I see a tap dance number like this show had. But I was a little disappointed to discover the dancers in the tap dance act weren’t wearing tap shoes. If the dancers were wearing tap shoes, they need to figure out a way to make them louder. A part of me thinks a tap dance segment isn’t worth performing if the audience can’t hear the clickety clack.
Triple Door Service and Food: My vegan pad thai arrived a little cold and a bit too wet. It’s also a hard to get a waiter’s attention during the show. I suggest Triple Door invest in call buttons like those installed on airplanes or dine-in movie theatres.
Other Thought(s)
Snow Stage Magic: How did the 3 snowflake dancers continue to create snow from their hands? I think they pulled it from the frills of their dresses but doesn’t that destroy the dress? Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas! Someone on Instagram told me that there are actually pockets in the backsides of their dresses that they pull snow out of. Someone in the stage crew gets the glamorous job of stuffing snow back into the dancers’ butt pockets before the dancers go on stage!
Seattle Tradition: Since this show has been produced since 2006, I imagine it could be Seattle’s answer to the NYC tradition of seeing Radio City Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular during the holiday season.
Seatmate: I thought it was hilarious that the guy who sat next to me assumed he was attending the traditional Nutcracker Ballet. Imagine his surprise when he saw pasties and thongs! But he still enjoyed the show.
Theatre Company : Verlaine and McCann
Venue: Triple Door
Venue Physical Address: 216 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price: Expensive
Dates: December 7th – 30th, 2022
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: I usually walk or transit here. The Benaroya (University Street) lightrail station is only a block away. Other than that, there’s obviously paid garage/street parking since this venue is in downtown. I think the cheapest garage lot is generally the Russell Investments Center garage (1301 2nd Ave #1950, Seattle, WA 98101).
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Miracle on 34th Street radio-ish-play-within-a-play at Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts. Actors perform a play based on the classic movie over Zoom (set during the height of Covid) live in-person on-stage. Great stage set scenic design. #play #xmas #Christmas #Santa #santaClaus
Synopsis from the Theatre: Do you believe in Santa Claus? Adapted and directed by Red Curtain’s artistic director, Scott B Randall, this “modern radio play” is set in December 2020. When Jessie’s elderly father goes into the hospital with COVID, her theatre friends gather on a video call to cheer her and her daughter, Kara, by doing a sort of readers’ theatre performance over Zoom. Being performers, the story is a mix of the true story (as portrayed in the classic movie), improvised lines, and pop culture references, sure to help bring out the feelings of closeness and joy associated with the season. In this fully-staged production, we’ll see each character in their own “homes,” plus the projected Zoom call high above the stage. This is a unique way to present the classic tale of friendship tinged with holiday magic, perfect for the entire family. Rated G.
Reviewed Performance: 12/4 Afternoon
Type: Play
World Premiere: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Sort of … one of the actors (Bill Kusler) provided some instrumental music on certain parts of the show.
Recommendation: See it if you like radio plays or staged readings.
Equity Actors: 0
Length: 2 hours?
Intermission: Yes
Theatre Company : Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts
Venue: Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts:
Venue Physical Address: 9315 State Ave #J, Marysville, WA 98270
Price: Cheap
Dates: November 25 to December 18, 2022
Seating: General Admission
Parking: Free lot parking in the strip mall where this theatre is located.
Ben St. Hilaire (as Michael), Shaylyn Reed (Jessie), Gwynn Hawley (Kara), Jay Jenkins (Nick), Bill Kusler (AJ), and Drew Sage (Caleb). Not pictured: Codie Wyatt as Beth.Jay Jenkins plays Nick, who has to convince a judge that he is the “real” Santa ClausKara (Gwynn Hawley) and her mom Jessie (Shaylyn Reed) connect with friends over Zoom
