Month: May 2023

Our Dear Dead Drug Lord – Play – Washington Ensemble Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Our Dear Dead Drug Lord play by Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12th Ave Arts. Middle-class suburban private school teens gone wild with cocaine, ouija board seances, & blood sacrifices. #PabloEscobar

Synopsis from the Theatre: Set in the face of the 2008 presidential election, the Dead Leaders Club meets in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are these teenage girls actually summoning the leader of the Medellín Cartel? Or are they just playing tricks on one another? This roller coaster ride through the trials and terrors of girlhood dabbles in blood sacrifice, the uncertainty of growing up, and a journey to unleash their personal power.

Reviewed Performance: 4/29/23 Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: One, a treehouse

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: It was consecutive but not quite defined. There’s only so much plot and storyline one setting can accomplish!

Recommendation: See it if you like plays that are weird and unconventional

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.25 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 4 but there were 2 other actors mentioned in the program who I assume were the background voices

Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 minutes

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Trapdoor: The play takes place in a treehouse, so the actors entered/exited from a trapdoor, which was novel.
  • Tissue: One of the characters blew their nose with tissue from their padded bra. It was a funny way to show the audience how young the characters were.
  • Favorite Line: “I lost my virginity while watching [President] Bush II’s ‘we got him’ speech. So basically, I’m fucked.”

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Meaning: I couldn’t assimilate the message from this play. Was there any symbolism? If so, I missed it.

Theatre Company: Washington Ensemble Theatre

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Dates: April 28 to May 15, 2023

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. Street parking is extremely limited since it’s Capitol Hill. Your best luck would be East of Cal Anderson Park on 11th or 12th Ave. Cheapest paid lots are on 11th Ave next to the park. I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus since the lots are expensive in Capitol Hill.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: Sorry, I’m still waiting for the theatre company to send me press pictures. In the meantime, see my video below.

@showsiveseen "Our Dear Dead Drug Lord" #play by Alexis Scheer w/ @wet.seattle at 12th Ave Arts. Middle-class suburban private school teens gone wild w/ cocaine, ouija board seances, & blood sacrifices! Review: showsiveseen.com/5170 #PabloEscobar #theatre ♬ Da Girls – Ciara

The Squirrel Plays: Infestation, Compensation, Eradication – Play – Mirror Stage

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Squirrel Plays – Infestation, Compensation, Eradication by Mia McCullough w/ Mirror Stage at 12th Ave Arts. Allegory on government/politics. It was fun guessing what each thing symbolized. Probably the best opening performance reception spread I’ve seen! #play #symbolism #symbolic

Synopsis from the Theatre: Tom and Sarah finally find the suburban house of their dreams with probably the nicest garden on the market. Everything is blissful, until an unwanted squirrel gets trapped in the attic, interrupting their lives and causing a rift in their marriage. Once an exterminator, the neighborhood association, and animal control all get involved, violence and turmoil unsettle the entire subdivision.

Reviewed Performance: 4/30/23 Opening Performance Matinee

Type: 3 connected consecutive plays

World Premiere: No but USA premiere

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Few – Around three settings

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Recommendation: See it if you like exploring symbolism in live theatre or other art forms

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.25 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 6

Length (Including Any Intermission): It was 2.25 hours with a long 1st act and a shorter 2nd act. I suggest moving some material to the 2nd act.

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Symbolism: Halfway through the first act in a sudden epiphany, I finally realized what the squirrels represented. I scrambled to replay the previous scenes in my mind to gather any missed nuances. If I had the time, I would rewatch those scenes with my newly-opened eyes. However, later on, it felt like the playwright changed what squirrels represented. Whether or not this change was intentional, the squirrel symbolism seemed unsatisfactorily inconsistent. Other than squirrels, this play was full of other political symbols. It was fun guessing what each thing represented. But for the life of me, I still couldn’t successfully guess what the bird feeders meant. Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas!
  • Stagehands: The stagehands were costumed and in-character as home movers. I always appreciate when the technical crew does not stick out on-stage.

Rant(s)

  • Stage Curtain: It’s a shame they covered part of the stage when scenes weren’t occuring there. The stage looked much more complete with all the curtains open, and it would have made a better first impression to audience members walking into the theatre space. When half of the stage is covered, it looks awkward and incomplete.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Numerous Commentaries: The play has a lot to say politically but it needs to hone its focus more to avoid becoming a hodgepodge of random leftist ideas.
  • Ending (No Spoilers): While I appreciate the conclusiveness of the ending, it felt a little too clean and idealistic. The raised social issues aren’t neatly resolved with a bow in real life.
  • Sounds: There were scenes that felt a little too quiet. Maybe include more background noise. But what does suburbia sound like? Maybe rustling leaves or birds chirping? What non-musical background noise do they play in Desperate Housewives? The transitional music between scenes was appropriate though.

Theatre Company: Mirror Stage

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: Pay-what-you-can (PWYC) and 20 radical hospitality free tickets for every performance

Dates: April 27 to May 20, 2023

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. Street parking is extremely limited since it’s Capitol Hill. Your best luck would be East of Cal Anderson Park on 11th or 12th Ave. Cheapest paid lots are on 11th Ave next to the park. I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus since the lots are expensive in Capitol Hill.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Michael Poggenburg

Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Emily Hoffman, Valerie Ryan Miller, Caitlin Frances Branston, Jason Marr and Serin Ngai . Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Valerie Ryan Miller and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Caitlin Frances Branston, Serin Ngai and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Emily Hoffman, Valerie Ryan Miller, Caitlin Frances Branston, Jason Marr and Serin Ngai . Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Valerie Ryan Miller and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring Angie Bolton. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring Valerie Ryan Miller. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.

Free Ticket – Sweeney Todd – 5th Avenue Theatre

Update 5/11/23: Congrats to Nathaniel!

Leave a comment with your favorite Stephen Sondheim song and why. I’ll choose a winner after 5/9 11:59 PM.

Post your comment submission on my FB, IG, or Twitter. This is a free SINGLE ticket for any available seat worth about $125 to any of the remaining “Sweeney Todd” #musical performances at 5th Ave Theatre. The production run ends this weekend. It was pretty good! Read my review at showsiveseen.com/5083 #theatre

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Musical – 5th Avenue Theatre

Giveaway: I’m giving away a free ticket to this show. See more details here. Congrats to Nathaniel!

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Stephen Sondheim musical at The 5th Avenue Theatre. I’ve forgotten how deliciously dark & twisty this show is. Glorious, rich orchestra and voices. I had to eat a hot savory vegetarian “meat” pie after the show! #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a deliciously thrilling story of revenge and retribution, continues our celebration of the titan of musical theater: Stephen Sondheim. After 15 years in exile, Sweeney Todd, an unsettling man with a mysterious past, arrives in a dark and gritty London, hungry for vengeance against the judge who destroyed his life. Todd joins forces with Mrs. Lovett, the unhinged proprietress of a failing pie shop, and together they develop a spinetingling plot to exact revenge. When the lights go down and the curtain goes up, you won’t dare look away. Where Into the Woods is a tangled musical web about what can be accomplished when we come together, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a piercing investigation of a society tearing itself apart.

Reviewed Performance: 4/29/23 Opening Night

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Several

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes, a large 19-person orchestra

Recommendation: See it!

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: No, I previously saw this twice in professional (Houston Grand Opera) and semi-professional performances. This was probably the best performance of the 3.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Three times is already quite a lot of performances already. I’d probably only see it if another professional theatre I highly respect (like Village Theatre) adds it to their season lineup.

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 20

Total Number of Actors: 20

Length (Including Any Intermission): 3 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Glorious Score: The first second of this production starts with a glorious sudden dissonant chord on the organ. The ensemble and orchestra later further fill the theatre sound space in that first song prelude “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.” What an awesome audience hook! The performers continued to deliver that same energy throughout the entire show.
  • Rich Voices: The cast was a collection of impressive voices like the Yusef Seevers’s (Sweeny Todd) and Jesus Garcia’s (the flamboyant Signor Adolfo Pirelli) rich tenors, Leslie Jackson’s (Johanna) beautiful soprano vibrato, and Deon’te Goodman’s decadent baritone. Even the Sean David Cooper’s (Judge Turpin) speaking voice was full-bodied!
  • Background: The vibrant saturated blood red background coupled with the creeping shadows of the ensemble conveyed a wonderful foreboding darkness.
  • Beggar Woman: I loved the costume design decision to dress the beggar woman in a dirty gown with slutty undertones and a gaudy train. It conveyed that this person has fallen far from her previous elegance, beauty, and innocence. Porsha Shaw’s portrayal reminded me of when she played the Witch in 5th Avenue Theatre’s last show Into the Woods, which was also incidentally another Stephen Sondheim musical.

Rant(s)

  • Chair: Sweeney Todd’s fancy barber’s chair in the previous two productions I saw converted to a slide with a lever. The trap door was also directly underneath the chair in those previous performances. However, this production required the actors to walk a couple steps to reach the trap door, which made the “misfortunate events” less believable. However, I appreciated that the stagehands were in costume when they secured the chair after it ominously descended from the ceiling. But, I wonder if Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett could have secured the chair themselves instead.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Oven Window: There was a huge missed opportunity for an actor to dramatically grope at the oven window. Maybe they thought it would be too cliche. But I personally think it would have made the scene enjoyably gruesome.
  • Sex: There was a sex scene I don’t remember from the previous two performances I saw. This musical is growing up! 😛
  • Self-flagellation Scene: There was a creepy scene in the first production I saw where Judge Turpin whipped himself. It was unfortunately missing from this production.

Theatre Company: The 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue: The 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Expensive

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out their discounts page. Goldstar or TodayTix usually offer good options too.

Dates: April 21 to May 14, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: When I don’t walk to the theatre or park on the street, I park in the paid garage at the Motif hotel NW of the theatre. The entrance is on 5th Ave. Do NOT park in the Hilton garage (entrance on 6th ave). That’s where most of the audience parks so it’s a nightmare to leave. However, the Hilton garage is the closest garage to the theatre and it has underground access to the theatre if you wanted to avoid the elements. But this benefit is not worth it in my opinion.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Mark Kitaoka and Tracy Martin

@showsiveseen "Sweeney Todd" #StephenSondheim #musical at 5th Ave Theatre. I've forgotten how deliciously dark & twisty this show is. Glorious, rich orchestra & voices. I had to eat a hot savory veggie "meat" pie after the show. Photos by Mark Kitaoka & Tracy Martin. Review: showsiveseen.com/5083 #theatre #Sondheim #vengeance #revenge #SweeneyTodd ♬ The Ballad of Sweeney Todd – Michael Ball & Imelda Staunton & The 2012 London Cast of Sweeney Todd
Anne Allgood and Yusef Seevers in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Photo by Mark Kitaoka
The cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Photo by Tracy Martin.
The cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
The cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
The cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.

How I Learned What I Learned – Play – Seattle Repertory Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): How I Learned What I Learned by August Wilson & Todd Kreidler performed by Steven Anthony Jones at Seattle Repertory Theatre. Random storytelling of black Pittsburgh. Like listening to a kindly grandfather ramble on “in my day.” Entertaining voices. Funny dig at Justin Bieber and Clarence Tomas. Well-designed stage. #play

Synopsis from the Theatre: Actor Steven Anthony Jones is here to tell you a story. Many stories, in fact. One of the greatest American playwrights, August Wilson, learned many lessons over his life, and “Wilsonian Warrior” Jones imparts them to you in one non-stop, spellbinding performance. From life-or-death moments to the deepest love, from comedic stand-up to bursts of pure joy, Wilson’s poetry and timeless stories radiate from the Bagley Wright stage, where he himself premiered this piece. Witness the 20th anniversary production of How I Learned What I Learned where it all started and follow one of the greats from his beginning as a young Black poet from Pittsburgh to the literary giant we honor today.

Reviewed Performance: 4/26/23 Opening Night

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: There weren’t any scenes, just lots of stories recounted

Several or Few Settings: There weren’t any settings, just lots of stories recounted

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’d probably enjoy this show more if you’re familiar with August Wilson’s work

Defined Plot/Storyline: No, it was several random stories

Recommendation: See it if you like either one-person plays or listening to your grandparents tell stories about the past

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Equity Actors: 1

Total Number of Actors: 1

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours, which is too long for a one-person show

Intermission: No

Theatre Company: Seattle Repertory Theatre

Venue: Bagley Wright Theater at Seattle Repertory Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium to Expensive

Ticket Affordability Options:

Dates: April 21 to May 14, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also a lot of 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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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures by Jenny Graham under video

@showsiveseen "How I Learned What I Learned" by #AugustWilson & Todd Kreidler performed by Steven Anthony Jones at Seattle Rep. Random storytelling of black #Pittsburgh. Like listening to a kindly grandfather ramble on "in my day." Entertaining voices. Funny dig at Justin Bieber & Clarence Tomas. Well-designed stage. Review: showsiveseen.com/5060 #play #theatre ♬ Head in the Clouds – Carly Pearl
Steven Anthony Jones in August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Jenny Graham.
Steven Anthony Jones in August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Jenny Graham.
Steven Anthony Jones in August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Jenny Graham.
Steven Anthony Jones in August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Jenny Graham.