Review – Page 5 – Shows I've Seen

Vietgone – Play with Music – Review – Pork Filled Productions, SIS Productions, & Theatre Off Jackson

@showsiveseen Qui Nguyen's "Vietgone" #play w/ #rap music by @Pork Filled Productions, SIS Productions, & Theatre Off Jackson. Starring Josh Erme and Megan Huynh. Basically #Vietnamese Hamilton. Refreshing to experience stories through an #Asian American lens. Closes 8/24. Review: showsiveseen.com/9426 Photos: @giaoo2 Director: @Suginamimi Music Director: @YUELAN 乐澜 Music: Shane Rettig Stage Manager: Omar Faust #vietgone #vietnam #viet #refugee #refugees #asians #theatre #showsiveseen #asians ♬ Cheeky – Albert Posis & Patrick Hizon

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone play w/ rap music by Pork Filled Productions, SIS Productions, & Theatre Off Jackson. Basically, Vietnamese Hamilton. Refreshing to experience stories through an Asian American lens. #refugee

Recommendation
See it, especially if you’re Asian American.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): A gallant Vietnamese pilot who fought for the Republic of Vietnam against the Viet Cong travels from an Arkansas refugee camp across the USA trying to return home overseas. In contrast, a beautiful Vietnamese woman flees Vietnam and embraces assimilation in the USA.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Arkansas, 1974, after the fall of Saigon. Two young survivors (who may or may not be the play-wright’s parents) meet in America. Will this strange new land of burritos, bikers, and pot allow them to fall in love? Flipping stereotypes and remixing history, Vietgone cooks up a sexy, funny romp that’s a secret origin story for playwright Qui Nguyen (author of Raya and the Last Dragon)!

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 8/9/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Buy your tickets now since the show closes on 8/24!

Type: Play with Rap Music

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? Mostly yes, since it’s such a small theatre.

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably enjoy this show more if you’re Asian American. I doubt Asians without an American background would appreciate it nearly as much as Asian Americans.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 5

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I previously attended Vietgone at Seattle Rep.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Maybe, but twice might be enough for me. It would definitely need to be another professional production like the one I saw at Seattle Rep … not to say that this one was bad.

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Asian Perspective and Representation: As an Asian American who grew up in Texas, it’s always refreshing (dare I say “novel”) to see Asian perspectives and representation on the stage. We’re not the “cultural other” in this story. Instead of Asian Americans speaking incomprehensibly, it was the other way around where the white American characters spoke weird broken English to depict their difficulty speaking Vietnamese. There were also many references in the play about living in a white-dominated society that many non-Asians wouldn’t understand. Additionally, it was a welcome change seeing the male romantic lead as an Asian man (Joshua M Erme as Quang) with sex appeal, muscular physique (Gurrrrl, look at that body!), and a masculine profession in the armed forces. This representation is still so important today even in the woke PNW where I know a half-Asian kid who literally expressed that they didn’t want their Asian features. Role models and goals!
Rap: Vietgone is a play with rap music. This production also incorporated a live band. The group sitting behind me said “I didn’t know this would be like Hamilton!” Personally, I’m not a fan of rap and I think Hamilton was good, but not amazing. However, I recognize the talent and skill involved in writing and executing the rap music in these two shows. My favorite song was Tong’s (played by Meghan Huynh) first number at the beginning.
Food Gag: As a vegetarian, I can totally relate to the running commentary throughout the show that American food is generally all meat or deep-fried greasy vegetables. There’s a reason why I hate eating at American food restaurants. In contrast, Vietnamese cuisine is so fresh with many vegetables. It might be my favorite cuisine.
Montages: The “days of the week” montage was a bit unnecessary and corny, but the Ninja montage was pretty good. It was a nice touch that the band even participated on-stage in this scene, especially Yuelan on the retro 80s keyboard. Side note, I was so concerned about the banana prop on the floor after a racing scene. If that wasn’t intentional, Huong (played by Wendy Chinn) improvised a good funny save.
Contrasting Motivation: The playwright devised contrasting motivations between the lead characters well. Quang was torn from his home country and wanted to go back while Tong fled her home country and was focused on American assimilation.
Favorite Line: “North and South Vietnam may be at war, but at least we’re not fighting each other over something as stupid as the way we look [like the Americans].”

Rant(s)

Temperature: Theatre Off Jackson is always too hot in the summer.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Shadow Boxes: Rectangular stage pieces switch positions throughout the show to indicate location changes. These structures need to be thicker to look less flimsy and to be less precariously fall prone. They fell at least once during opening night.
Reverse Racism: The script contains some mild racist jabs towards Caucasians. These quips were rooted in the shared trauma of the racism and microaggressions that Asians experienced throughout the years and even today. While the jokes were funny and I would assume most white people today wouldn’t be terribly offended, when do the jokes become inappropriate? When does reverse racism reverse back to straight up racism? If the shoe was on the other foot against Asians, these jokes definitely wouldn’t be received as well. It reminds me of Avenue Q‘s funny and insightful song “Eveyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”
Last Scene (No Spoiler): The last scene felt a bit out of place from the rest of the show. It was a different energy and I’m not sure I fully grasped or agreed with the message. It presented a novel perspective about the Vietnam war different from what Americans conventionally believe. Does this perspective apply to the war in Ukraine or Palestine? Should the USA be the police officer of the world?

Theatre Company: Pork Filled Productions and SIS Productions

Venue: Theatre Off Jackson

Venue Physical Address: 409 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

Price Range: $10-50

Dates: August 9 to August 24, 2024

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Paid street parking is usually available north of the theatre on the hill close to the park. You can also try free parking on Jackson Street under/past the I-5 bridge, though it’s a dodgier area. As usual, there are paid parking lots nearby as well.

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Pictures: See pictures below and in video by Giao Nguyen.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.

Wendy Chinn and Van Lang Pham. Photo by Pork Filled Productions.

Van Lang Pham and Megan Huynh. Photo by Pork Filled Productions.

Megan Huynh and Wendy Chinn. Photo by Pork Filled Productions.

The Hippie Couple (Van Lang Pham, Wendy Chinn). Photo by Giao Nguyen.

Best buds Quang (Josh Erme) and Nhan (Hank Tian) run headlong into a road trip. Photo by Giao Nguyen.

Tong (Megan Huynh) and Huong (Wendy Chinn). Photo by Giao Nguyen.

Quang (Josh Erme) and Tong (Megan Huynh) in a romantic clinch. Photo by Giao Nguyen.

Sister Act – Musical – Review – Taproot Theatre

@showsiveseen "Sister Act" #musical at @TaprootTheatre might be "THE" theatre show of the season. Great casting & costumes. Plus, Alan Menken music is always a crowd-pleaser. Wah wah pedal FTW! Starring Alexandria Henderson. Extended till 8/17. #catholic #nun #nuns #theatre #showiveseen #disco #sisterAct Review: showsiveseen.com/9150 Photos: Robert Wade Lyrics: Glenn Slater Book: Bill and Cheri Steinkellner Director: @Bretteney Beverly ♬ Take Me to Heaven – Sister Rosalie Taller

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Sister Act musical at Taproot Theatre might be “THE” theatre show of the season. Great casting and costumes. Plus, Alan Menken music is always a crowd-pleaser. Wah wah pedal FTW! Starring Alexandria Henderson. #disco

Recommendation
See it, especially if you saw the movie or if you grew up Catholic.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): A disco lounge singer witnesses a crime and must hide in a convent disguised as a nun. She ends up leading the choir.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: A feel-good musical comedy like “nun” other! Deloris dreams of fame and fortune, but after witnessing a murder she lands in protective custody. Being disguised as a nun can’t cramp her style, and soon she’s inspired the whole choir.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Weekend 7/13/24 – I couldn’t attend the actual opening night since the show was so popular! Keep your eyes peeled for preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen.

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? Mostly yes, since it’s such a small theatre. However, this production reused the rotating door from Taproot Theatre’s previous show Sherlock Holmes & the Precarious Position to facilitate scene changes.

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably enjoy this show more if you saw the original film or if you grew up Catholic.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Equity Actors: 3

Total Number of Actors: 12

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I previously attended Sister Act at Cornish College of the Arts.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Absolutely, but only professional productions like this one.

Mainstream Appeal: Medium to high

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Casting: Bretteney Beverly (the director and casting director) did a great job picking actors that matched the energy of the original movie characters especially the refined/uptight Mother Superior (played by Anne Allgood), the contrasting casual down-to-earth Deloris Van Cartier (played by Alexandria J. Henderson), the timid petite vocal bombshell Sister Mary Roberts (played by Rebecca Cort), and the jolly Sister Mary Patrick (played by Hannah Schuerman).
Costumes: Kudos to Esther Garcia for her fantastic costume design. She took me back to the funky 1970s with the sparkly disco sequins, tacky wide collars, plaid bottoms, earthy leather coats, gold bling, groovy bell-bottoms, and leopard print. In particular, I loved Deloris’ white suit at the end of the show. She finally lived her Donna Summer dream. “She showed up simple, all in white. Yeah, she looked so classy… and she sang so nasty!” Also, Eddie Souther’s (played by Charles Simmons) double costume transformation was impressive. For a professional theatre with a lower budget than many other Puget Sound professional theatres, I was surprised that they pulled off this stage magic!
Sweaty Eddie: Speaking of Charles Simmons, I was impressed by his smooth 1970s voice in “I Could Be That Guy” reminiscent of Brian McKnight. The audience was surprised when he sang his first line and they ate up his performance.
Choreography: Surprisingly for a small stage, Jimmy Shields was able to devise entertaining fun choreography. Obviously, it would have looked better in a bigger space though.
Positive Energy and Joy: As someone with RBF, I love musicals where I catch myself smiling during songs like “Lady in the Long Black Dress” (with Bee Gee’s falsetto), “Raise Your Voice,” and “Sunday Morning Fever.”

Rant(s)

Original Songs: It will certainly disappoint viewers of the original film that this musical didn’t contain any original movie songs. I suspect it was due to licensing fees or licensing disagreements. That being said, Alan Menken always writes wonderful masterpiece suites.
Microphones: The wireless wearable microphones occasionally distractingly crackled like there was loose wire/connector. Also, the handheld microphone often overpowered the speakers.
Thrust Stage: Taproot Theatre’s Jewell Mainstage is a thrust stage where the audience sits in a U-shape surrounding three of the four sides. Every time I sit on the sides, I experience major FOMO. The actors (understandably) prioritize blocking towards the back of the theatre space, not the sides.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Christian Songs vs Love Songs: It’s amusing how both the movie and the musical poked fun at how love songs and Christian songs have interchangeable lyrics. In “Take Me to Heaven,” Deloris and the nuns separately sang “Don’t know how you do what you do. It’s like you’re almost too good to be true. You’re my hope. You’re my dream. You rock my world. You reign supreme.” Deloris first sang it to her beau, but later the nuns sang it to God. Turn on Christian contemporary radio and you’ll hear the same similarities.

Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre

Venue: Jewell Mainstage at Taroot Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Price Range: $25-62

Dates: July 10 to August 17, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or usually-free street parking. I always find free street parking on Greenwood Ave just South of the theatre.

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Pictures: See pictures below and in video by Robert Wade.

Rebecca Cort and Alexandria J. Henderson in SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Ania Briggs, Connie Corrick, and Alexandria J. Henderson in SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Alexandria J. Henderson with Cherisse Martinelli and Ania Briggs in SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Anne Allgood and Alexandria J. Henderson in SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Alexandria J. Henderson in SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre, with Rebecca Cort, Hannah Schuerman, Cherisse Martinelli, and Ania Briggs. Photo by Robert Wade.

Rolando Cardona, Eyual Degaga, Danny Kam, and Christopher Clark in SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.

Company – Musical – Review – Paramount Theatre

@showsiveseen @CompanyBway #Sondheim #musical at the Paramount Theatre from @Seattle Theatre Group & @broadwaycom. Insights that #single aging #millennials can appreciate. Great scenic design. Gender twist starring @britneycoleman. Surprisingly enjoyed it. Closes on 7/28. #millennial #NYC #newYork #theatre #showsiveseen #company Review: showsiveseen.com/9162 Director: Marianne Elliott Conductor: @altermancharlie Stage Mangers: @Jay ♬ You Could Drive a Person Crazy – Richard Fleeshman & Matthew Seadon-Young & George Blagden

Ticket Giveaway: I’m giving away a free ticket to this production. Click here to read more details! (Update 7/28/24: Congrats to Katt!)

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Company Sondheim musical at the Paramount Theatre from Seattle Theatre Group & Seattle Broadway. Insights that single aging millennials can appreciate. Great scenic design. Gender twist starring Britney Coleman. #NYC #newYork

Recommendation
See it if either you enjoy 1) Sondheim music 2) shows that are more dialogue/vignettes than story 3) or musicals that are more like a play than a traditional musical. Bonus points if you’re currently an aging millennial.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): A hip New York woman faces the existential crisis of turning 35 while still single. She experiences this disaster in a series of vignettes as a third wheel with her coupled friends.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: PHONE RINGS, DOOR CHIMES, IN COMES COMPANY. Winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, COMPANY “strikes like a lightning bolt. It’s brilliantly conceived and funny as hell.” (Variety). Helmed by three-time Tony Award-winning director Marianne Elliott (War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Angels in America) this revelatory new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy, at once boldly sophisticated, deeply insightful, and downright hilarious. It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, Why isn’t she married? Why can’t she find the right man and isn’t it time to settle down and start a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in the 21st-century could drive a person crazy. COMPANY features Sondheim’s award-winning songs “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” “The Ladies Who Lunch,” “Side by Side by Side” and the iconic “Being Alive.” Let’s all drink to that!

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 7/23/24 – Buy your tickets now since the show closes on 7/28/24.

Type: Musical, but it felt more like a play with singing, dancing, and music.

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? No

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be in your 30s or past your 30s. I saw Companyin my 20s and I definitely did not appreciate the script as much as I do now with more life experience. It’s kind of like watching Sex and the City in your 20s vs your 30s … without as much humor.

Defined Plot/Storyline: No, it a series of dialogue-filled vignettes and musings similar to Songs for a New World, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and even Schoolhouse Rock!

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Equity Actors: All

Total Number of Actors: 15

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I previously saw this at the Music Box Theatre in Houston about 10 years ago in my 20s.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Maybe. With the many gender reversals in this production, I’m so curious to compare the relationship dynamics with the original gender intent reversed back.

Mainstream Appeal: Low to medium

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Unexpected Surprise: I must confess that I was initially not as excited as usual to see Company. Out of Broadway Seattle’s entire 2023-2024 season lineup, this show was my least anticipated, especially because I don’t like Sondheim music/musicals. Blasphemy, I know. Also, as I previously mentioned, I already saw Company before and I hated it. I might have even left early at intermission back then! But the first production I attended was a lower budget (non-professional?) show. So, I figured I should give the musical a second chance in this high budget professional national touring production. I was subsequently surprised to appreciate/enjoy it more, especially as the show progressed. I hypothesize this is due to a combination of higher production value and more life experience.
Gender Twist: The original Company script featured Bobby, a man, as the main character. This production reimagined the main character as Bobbie, a woman. They also changed other cast members’ genders like Bobbie’s heterosexual romantic interests. Often when gender reimagining a musical, the “new” characters are unable to adequately sing the original vocal range. They usually either sing an octave too high or too low. Fortunately, vocal range was not a problem in this production. I suspect they transposed a couple songs to accommodate the gender reversal. Side note, with all the gender reimagining, could they not have switched one of the heterosexual couples to lesbians?
Scenic Design: This production relied heavily on a nice minimalist shadow box and neon light motif with simple clean lines.
- Shadow Boxes The shadow boxes reminded me of the scenic design in Village Theatre’s Cinderella. This also allowed partitioning the stage into multiple apartment rooms.
- Letters and Numbers: The “Company” neon Hollywood-Sign-like giant letters featured in PJ’s (played by Matthew Christian) “Another Hundred People” song about New York uniquely rearranged to spell “NYC.” Also, the age “35” was featured several places like party balloons and large foreboding bouncy characters. The “35” street addresses were a nice touch, demonstrating attention to detail.
Significant Statements and Insights: There were several universal-like observations about singledom and/or your 30s scattered throughout the show like “Marry me and then everyone will finally leave us alone” or something like “Phones and divorce are similar. They make you feel both connected and disconnected.”
Gay Couple: My friend Justin and I agree that the “Getting Married Today” scene/song was amazing. The door, cupboard, and cake entrances were funny surprises. The flamboyantly jittery Jaime (played by Kenneth Quinney Francoeur) reminded me of Nathan Lane in The Birdcage.
Introduction to Love Interests: “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” was a light cute barbershop-style song sung by Bobbie’s three love interests Andy, PJ, and Theo (played by Jacob Dickey, Matthew Christian, and David Socolar respectively).
Flight Attendant: Speaking of Andy, he was a delightfully airheaded hot male flight attendant. Why are hot dumb people so desirable? He was likable even before he gratuitously stripped down to his sexy skivvies.
Relationship Montage: I absolutely love the red dress body doubles in the hypothetical montage where Bobbie accepts the mediocrity of living a conventional coupled life with children. There was so much overlapping action! It was the visual equivalent of a song with rounds.
Marijuana: I usually don’t enjoy observing actors portray getting high or drunk on-stage or on-screen. It’s a patronizing gratuitous way to extract low brow laughs from the audience. That being said, it was amusing to watch “the square” David (played by Christopher DeAngelis) getting high.
Flashes: This production generously shined alluring flash-like effects throughout the show. This was usually during camera phone flashes. It was much better than generating the flashs from props.

Rant(s)

Phone Overuse: Speaking of phones, this production overused phone props way too much as a crutch to enhance modern relatability. Excessive phone use in the theatre on-stage (and in the audience) is one of my theatre pet peeves. It reminds me of my rants from Village Theatre’s Sense and Sensibility play.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Voicemail Prompt: Who leaves a voicemail prompt about their birthday these days? It’s pretty antiquated and a bit narcissistic. It probably made sense in the 1970s Company production and I admit that it’s probably difficult to translate this practice from 1970 to 2024. Maybe Bobbie should have posted that birthday message on social media instead of creating a voicemail prompt.
Alcohol: I suspect another relic from the 1970s was the number of times the script glorified alcohol, which doesn’t translate well for today’s 30-40 somethings. Don’t get me wrong. My friends and I binged drank too many times in our 20s, but we grew up and realized our bodies can’t handle alcohol as well in our 30s. Sobriety is sometimes even considered trendy these days, what with “California sober.” Maybe I’m a Pollyanna, but the script’s obsession with alcohol doesn’t match today’s elder millennials’ consumption.
First Act Finale: Like most other Sondheim musicals, I thought the end of the first act was the end of the entire show.
Moral of the Story: What was the ultimate message at the end of the show? Be single or be coupled? Personally, I thought Bobbie seemed a bit needy. Gurl, “a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” She needs to find fulfillment in herself independent of her romantic relationships. She’s a strong independant woman who don’t need no man! If anything, she was in desperate need of Sex and the City single friends. No wonder she feels inadequate when she’s surrounded by couples. I’m so curious how different I would have interpreted this needy dynamic if Bobbie (woman) was portrayed as the original Bobby (man).

Theatre Company: National tour brought by Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway Across America

Venue: Paramount Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price Range: $40 to 125 plus the insane Ticketmaster fees. Buy your ticket at the box office to avoid most of the Ticketmaster fees. Down with the Ticketmaster Live Nation monopoly!

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 eligible for an organization discount.

Dates: July 23 to 28, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

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 Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.

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Pictures: See pictures below Matthew Murphy from MurphyMade.

The North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

Britney Coleman as Bobbie, Jacob Dickey as Andy, David Socolar as Theo and Tyler Hardwick as PJ in the North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

Britney Coleman as Bobbie (center) and the North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

Britney Coleman as Bobbie and Jacob Dickey as Andy in the North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

Tyler Hardwick as PJ and Britney Coleman as Bobbie in the North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

James Earl Jones II as Harry, Kathryn Allison as Sarah, Britney Coleman as Bobbie and Judy McLane as Joanne in the North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

June is the First Fall – Play – Review – Yun Theatre and Theatre Off Jackson

@showsiveseen Yilong Liu's "June is the First Fall" #play by Yun Theatre at Theatre Off Jackson starring @Seba. Finally, a show with a #gaysian perspective! Lots of "awws" from the audience. Closes 6/27. #gay #lgbt #theatre #showsiveseen #asian #chinese ♬ Fly Me To The Moon – 林培鈞

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Yilong Liu’s June is the First Fall play by Yun Theatre at Theatre Off Jackson starring Sebastian Wang. Finally, a show with a gaysian perspective! Lots of “awws” from the audience. #gay #lgbt

Recommendation
See it if you want to support Asian theatre or gay-themed theatre.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): The prodigal gaysian son comes home from the Big Apple and confronts the past that he left behind.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Written by Lilong Liu, June is the First Fall tells the story of Don, a gay Chinese man, who returns home to Hawaii to rediscover missing memories of his family that he moved away from. This return opens up wounds that never healed, revealing the struggles in this family to find love, acceptance, and belonging.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 7/11/24

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Most of the story took place in the living room of a childhood home

Static (Stationary) Set? Yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably enjoy this play more if you’re gay or Asian.

Defined Plot/Storyline: It veered more toward a dialogue play than an action play.

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 5

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 100 minutes

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No

Mainstream Appeal: Low to medium

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Favorite Line: Something like “Grindr is Facebook for gays.” “But they don’t have any faces!”
Bombshell: The “relationship” reveal in the second half of the play was a good bombshell for traditional parents.

Rant(s)

A/C: I don’t think Theatre Off Jackson has “air con.” It was a bit warm what with the well-sized audience and the spotlights.
Translation: The lines spoken in Chinese needed English subtitles.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Main Character Relatability: I’m torn regarding my feelings about the main character Don (played by Sebastian Wang), who was a gay Asian. As a gaysian myself, I mostly did not identify with his character. Maybe it’s because I live a more conservative lifestyle than Don or the typical gay guy. Or maybe it’s because my coming out experience was good. But honestly, his coming out experience wasn’t that bad in my book. In fact, his coming out experience was pretty tame other than a senseless tragedy that was only associated because of temporal sequential proximity. I felt like Don was unnecessarily maudlin, bitter, angsty, sensitive, and self-isolated. Wait … on second thought, maybe I can actually relate to him and I’m just projecting! 😛
Tension: On a similar note, the tensions felt throughout the play didn’t seem merited. The conflicts didn’t substantiate why the characters treated each other so apprehensively. Like, can the playwright add an unforgivable scandalous betrayal somewhere to make things more interesting?
Mooncakes: I’m not sure what they served at concessions, but it would have been so fitting if they handed out mooncakes after the opening night performance.

Theatre Company: Yun Theatre and Theatre Off Jackson

Venue: Theatre Off Jackson

Venue Physical Address: 409 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

Price Range: $30

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select the $20 “access” ticket option on the ticketing website.

Dates: July 11 to 27, 2024

Seating: General Admission

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Pictures: See pictures below and in video by Elodie Li.

Clue: Live on Stage! – Play – Review – The 5th Avenue Theatre

@showsiveseen Happy opening weekend to the "Clue: Live on Stage!" #murderMystery #comedy #play national tour at @The 5th Avenue Theatre. Light, short, quick-witted play full of #amusing caricatures & delightful choreographed scene transitions. Loved John Shartzer's portrayal of the slightly flamboyant Mr. Green. Closes on 7/21. #mystery #whodunit #showsiveseen #theatre #clue Review: showsiveseen.com/9041 Photos: @Evan Zimmerman Director: Casey Hushion Stage Mgr: Margot Whitney, Emily Kritzman, & @Maria DiVittorio ♬ PRETTY PLEASE – Dutch Melrose & benny mayne

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Happy opening weekend to the Clue: Live on Stage! murder mystery comedy play national tour at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Light, short, quick-witted show full of amusing caricatures and delightful choreographed scene transitions. Loved John Shartzer’s portrayal of the slightly flamboyant Mr. Green. Closes on 7/21.

Recommendation
See it if you enjoy murder mystery whodunit comedies like The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 or Something’s Afoot

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Someone is murdering guests in a mysterious manor. Who’s the killer?

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 7/10/24 – Buy your tickets now since the show closes on 7/21.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several rooms in a manor

Static (Stationary) Set? Mostly no. The background of the stage was stationary, but the walls occasionally expanded to reveal additional rooms. Also, set backgrounds descended from the ceiling to depict other rooms.

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but I imagine you might enjoy this play more if you saw the movie. I never saw the movie, and I still enjoyed the show.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes, but the story encompassed a single evening. It did not span multiple days like a typical plot.

Equity Actors: All

Total Number of Actors: 11

Perceived Pace of the Show: Fast speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 75 minutes – it was so short that the sun was still out when I exited the theatre.

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I previously saw Clue in a community production at The Pheonix Theatre.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No. It’s a good script, but twice is enough for me.

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Caricatures: The show was filed with a plethora of funny caricatures. My favorite was the cute, closeted (total bottom for sure), and nimble Mr. Green (played by John Shartzer). He reminded me of a dainty, flexible, un-buff Clark Kent. Also, a dumb brute (Colonel Mustard played by John Treacy Egan) is always a crowd pleaser. Colonel Mustard was actually the most memorable character from the previous Clue production I attended.
Funny Script: The script was quick-witted with some slapstick. The audience needed to think fast to not miss any punch lines. I remember someone behind me suddenly exclaimed “Oh Shit!” because of something hilarious.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Mystery Shows: I’m surprised The 5th Avenue Theatre decided to produce two whodunit mystery shows (Clue: Live on Stage! and Something’s Afoot) this season. I would expect just one (if any) to ensure show genre diversity. While both shows were well-written and well-executed, I’m generally not a fan of the whodunit genre.

Theatre Company: National tour brought by The 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue: The 5th Avenue Theatre

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

Price Range: $49-200

Tickets: https://www.5thavenue.org/shows/2023-2024/clue/

Ticket Affordability Options: The 5th Avenue Theatre often partners with organizations you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, they sometimes offer a discount for my employer affiliation. Rush tickets are also available day-of at the box office.

Dates: July 9 to 21, 2024

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 northwest 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 (and I think the subscribers) parks, so it’s a nightmare to leave. However, the Hilton garage is the closest garage to the theatre and you can access the theatre through a tunnel if you want to avoid the elements. But, in my opinion, this benefit is not worth the time wasted leaving the garage.

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Pictures: See pictures below and in video by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.