Puget Sound (Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia/Bellevue) – Page 8 – Shows I've Seen

Gold – Play – Review – Annex Theatre

@showsiveseen Marcus Gorman's "Gold" #play at Annex Theatre. Starring Rebekah Nachman. Good multiple character portrayal by Sophie J. Sen. Adventurous dive into grandpa's little black book. Only 4 more performances before it closes next weekend! Review: showsiveseen.com/11402 Photos: Sayed Alamy & Laura Johnston Director: @Jasmine Joshua Stage Mgr: Kristin Brown #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ Wander On – Jeddy Knox

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Marcus Gorman’s Gold play at Annex Theatre. Good multiple character portrayal by Sophie J. Sen. Adventurous dive into grandpa’s little black book. Only 4 more performances before it closes next weekend!

Recommendation:
See it if you’re Jewish or you want to support new works.

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

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Frankie’s grandpa died and left her a mysterious little black book that kept score of all his sexual affairs. Determined to learn more about her background, she embarks on a journey across the country to meet the mistresses who were part of his secret past.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: When 19-year-old Frankie inherits her late grandfather’s little black book, she goes on a cross-country road trip to meet his mistresses. As she and her college bestie travel across the United States and through decades of her family’s secret history, she learns not just who her grandfather truly was…but also a key to her own identity. GOLD is a funny and relatable drama about what we leave behind. And also, some psychedelic dinosaurs.

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Union Actors: 0

Total Actors: 6

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

The Women: Sophie J. Sen embodied all of Grandpa’s romantic interests, each reflecting the distinct vibe of their era. It started with the polished, buttoned-up 50s-60s to the wild, experimental drug-filled 60s-70s, and finally, the opulent success of the 80s.
Choreography: Despite being a play, this show featured an unexpected amount of quirky dance routines by Flossy Beatrice.
Mona: Megan Huynh (who played the best friend Mona) radiated positive energy and strongly projected her voice. Her portrayal took me back to her memorable roles in Down the Rabbit Hole and Vietgone.
Favorite Line: “Time is aways running out. Do what you want.”

Rant(s)

Sound Balancing: At times, the line delivery was too faint, or it was overshadowed by the background music.
Psychedelic Trip: One of my theatre pet peeves is when characters act drunk or high on stage. Call me a scrooge, but it often feels gratuitous and pandering than serving the story. I also loathe T-rex costumes. They just strike me as too Portlandia-esque or weird for the sake of being weird. It reminded me of the random quirkiness in The Skin of Our Teeth. The timeline of the psychedelic trip didn’t make sense either. There was a scene of delusions, followed by a driving scene without delusions, and then a scene with more delusions. I’ve never been high myself, but it would seem more natural for the hallucinations to be more continuous. There were just too many random, zany moments for me to fully engage. You can probably tell I’m the life of the party! 😛

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Phone Calls: There were several phone call scenes where both characters were portrayed simultaneously, while in others, only one character was seen. This inconsistency felt a bit off. I can’t think of any other productions that use this approach. Is this common in theatre?
True Story: The production touts itself as “A True-ish Jewish Story.” Was there was actually a grandchild with a little black book meeting their grandfather’s mistresses in real life?

Theatre Company: Annex Theatre

Venue: Annex Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 1100 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122

Price Range: $25

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select pay-what-you-can tickets as low as $5.

Dates: January 17 to February 8, 2025

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Street parking is extremely limited since it’s Capitol Hill. Since I don’t visit Annex Theatre often, I’m still at a loss for an affordable place to park. Maybe East of Cal Anderson Park on 11th. I highly suggest taking the bus if that’s an option. I’m still bitter that I ended up desperately paying $26 for a terrible parking location since I was almost late to the show on a Saturday night.

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https://annextheatre.org/season-38/mainstage/gold/

Pictures: See production pictures below by Sayed Alamy and Laura Johnston

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.

Preview Post – Gold – Play – Annex Theatre

Sold out performance of the Gold play at the Annex Theatre. Closes 2/8/25. Hang tight for my full review! #infidelity #secrets

Tickets: https://annextheatre.org/season-38/mainstage/gold/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/gold-play-review-annex-theatre/

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Preview Post – Dial M for Murder – Play – Village Theatre

Happy opening night to Village Theatre’s Dial M for Murder play production. At Issaquah till 2/23/25 and Everett till 3/23/25. Keep a look out for my full review!

Tickets: https://villagetheatre.org/shows/murder/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/dial-m-for-murder-play-review-village-theatre/

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Black Nativity – Concert Musical – 2024 Review – Intiman Theatre & The Hansberry Project

@showsiveseen Langston Hughes's "Black Nativity" #Christmas #concert #musical by @Intiman Theatre & The Hansberry Project. Truely a worthy yearly tradition of the Seattle #holiday season. That #black #gospel church #choir was dynamite! Closes this weekend. Review: showsiveseen.com/10975 Photos: Joe Moore Director: @valeriecurtisnewt2 Music Direction: Sam Townsend, Jr. Choreo: Vania C. Bynum Stage Manager: Neen Williams-Teramachi #theatre #showsiveseen #xmas ♬ My Way Is Cloudy – Latrice Pace & Various Artists

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Black Nativity Christmas concert musical by Intiman Theatre & The Hansberry Project. Truely a worthy yearly tradition of the Seattle holiday season. That black gospel church choir was dynamite! Closes this weekend.

Recommendation:
See it, especially if you love black gospel choir music.

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I attended the same production last year, and this year’s version felt 85% identical. They also seemed to have improved how the second act addressed the 4th wall. I’m curious how much the script and songs differ in productions by other theatre companies since there seems to be so much inherent leeway for deviation.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Yes, in fact, I’d probably attend next year again!

Mainstream Appeal: Medium to high

If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): The first act was a church concert-style musical reenactment of the Biblical nativity story. The second act was mostly an interactive sing-along with some non-sing-along numbers.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Langston Hughes’ Gospel Song-Play returns in this newly reimagined production! Celebrate the season with a cast of more than 30 actors, dancers, soaring vocalists, a live band, and a rousing city-wide gospel choir. Audiences will have the chance to raise your voice and sing-along during this stirring and joyful holiday musical for families of all backgrounds and beliefs. Don’t miss your chance to experience this treasured Seattle tradition as Intiman presents the second year of the new Black Nativity.

Type: Concert Musical and Sing-along

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several, but they weren’t presented as traditional live theatre since it was more of a concert than a musical.

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several, but they weren’t presented as traditional live theatre since it was more of a concert than a musical.

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’ll probably appreciate this more if you grew up in the Christian church.

Defined Plot/Storyline: No, since it was more of a concert than a musical.

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Union Actors: 5

Total Actors: 5 main actors + 5 dancers + 16 choir members

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Unlikely Theatre Fan: I already shared my initial thoughts on this show in my review last year, but this year, I attended with my sister and experienced the performance through her fresh eyes. Now, she can’t stop thinking about it, and we both agreed we should have brought her kids along so they could experience church in a way that’s rare to find since Seattle is so homogenous and the least churched city in the USA. Now, she’s eager to make Black Nativity an annual tradition with me, which is surprising given that she’s not usually a fan of musicals or live theater.
Choir: Even though the choir was relatively small (16 members), they were on fire!
Interactivity: I usually don’t prefer interactive elements in live theatre, but it felt fitting for this Christmas performance. There was a singalong, an offertory, kids decorating a tree, opportunities to share our holiday traditions, and even a fun lesson on how to clap/sway in a black church.

Rant(s)

Audience: The audience could have used a bit more energy. You can’t fully capture the spirit of Black church with amazing performers and a tepid crowd. Kudos to the performers for maintaining their energy despite the lack of audience enthusiasm. Oh Seattle…

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Pregnancy Belly: It was weird not seeing a pregnancy belly on Mary (played by DaeZhane Day) … but it probably would have been equally as weird to see a pregnant woman dancing as energetically.
Song List Highlights:
- “Mary Did You Know”: My sister was moved to tears during this song. Then we laughed when Mary nodded in response to the question, “Mary, did you know?” The choir later joined in with an unexpectedly dynamite burst of energy.
- “The Night That Christ Was Born”: Kearia Keke Duncan’s arms must be incredibly strong to support her graceful angel wings dance. Additionally, the soloist was outstanding.
- “Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child”: Obviously when emulating the style of Mariah Carey’s version, this song was crowd pleaser.
- “Oh Holy Night”: The acapella harmony at the lyrics “fall on your knees” was incredible.
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Josephine Howel was an amazingly effortless powerhouse with an interesting voice.
- “Total Praise” + “Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory”: I love that they included these black gospel staples even though the songs weren’t Christmas themed.

Theatre Company: Intiman Theatre & The Hansberry Project

Venue: Seattle Central College’s Broadway Performance Hall

Venue Physical Address: 1625 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122

Price Range: $65-110

Ticket Affordability Options: The ticketing website offers honor code discount options for students, military, industry, … or anybody. They also offer 20 free rush tickets 1 hour in-person before each performance.

Dates: December 4 to 29, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Ironically, the uncovered parking lots on Harvard Avenue across Seattle Central College are cheaper than street parking.

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Pictures: See production pictures below by Joe Moore.

Cast and Production Team: See pictures below.

Rontrell J. Brimmer, Antwoin Parmer, and DaeZhane Day. Photo by Joe Moore.

Shaunyce Omar, Yusef Seevers, Felicia Loud, and Esther Okech. Photo by Joe Moore.

The cast of *Black Nativity*. Photo by Joe Moore.

Happy Christmas, Jeeves – Play – Review – Taproot Theatre

@showsiveseen Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey & @Heidi's "Happy #Christmas, Jeeves" #play at @TaprootTheatre. Starring @MocapMinute & Calder Jameson Shilling. A heartwarming comedy for the #holidays w/ funny gags. Review: showsiveseen.com/10926 Photos: Robert Wade Director: Karen Lund Stage Manager: Mackenzie Breda #showsiveseen #theatre #holiday #xmas ♬ Better Together – The Jilettes

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Happy Christmas, Jeeves play at Taproot Theatre. Starring Richard Nguyen Sloniker & Calder Jameson Shilling. A heartwarming comedy for the holidays with funny gags.

Recommendation:
See it if you’re looking for a funny Christmas-themed play.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Bertie is simply hoping for his “Christmas pudding” this holiday season (aka a peaceful, uneventful staycation). But, as always, friends and family chaotically drop by uninvited. Can Bertie and his ever-loyal valet, Jeeves, manage to salvage his Christmas pudding?

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Step into the whimsical world of Bertie Wooster and his impeccable valet, Jeeves, in this brand-new holiday play. All Bertie wants for Christmas is a quiet night at home with no relatives, but his tranquility is shattered by a love-smitten pal and the impending arrival of the meddling Aunt Agatha. Join the mirth and mayhem in a delightful comedy that will tickle your fancy and warm your heart.

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just one – A living room

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll probably appreciate this play more if you’re familiar the PG Wodehouse’s “Jeeves” character.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Union Actors: 1

Total Actors: 7

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 125 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: Medium

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Aunt Agatha: Kim Morris delightfully portrayed a bellicose strict aunt. It must be fun to play such a spirited role.
Gags: The script cleverly incorporated two funny gags. Firstly, there was a two-sided misunderstanding involving terminal illness. And secondly, there was a running joke of visitors knocking at the door just as Bertie mentioned them in conversation.
Audience: The opening night audience was energetic with laughter and even audibly awww-ed during a hugging moment.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Lady Bittlesham: I always pity actors like Nikki Visel (playing Lady Bittlesham) who must wait for more than half of the show to finally appear on stage in the second act. However, I did enjoy her predatory cougar-like scene. At least her character was mentioned several times before she appeared, which made her arrival feel more natural with anticipation. It’s definitely stranger when a character shows up out of nowhere with little setup. If I’m not mistaken, I recall this weirdness happening with one of Nikki’s previous roles in Taproot Theatre’s The Book of Will, when her character appeared in the second act without any prior introduction.
Costume: Oh my, those culottes Claude (played by Joe Moore) wore could have been a dress or elephant pants!
Scenic Design: The grand door in the back of the set was beautifully designed (and weirdly not the front door), but it seemed more appropriate for American opulent 1980s than Jeeves’s early British 20th century era.