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
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Flight Before Xmas play w/ Macha Theatre Works @ West of Lenin. Delayed holiday flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport! Interesting tidbits of world Christmas traditions. Shelley Douma nailed her Karen vibes. Cute voice/energy from Lila Bahng. Novel catwalk shaped stage. #theatre #airport #SeaTac
Synopsis from the Theatre: With all the stress of the holidays, spending Christmas Eve stranded in an airport with a bunch of strangers is the last thing anyone needs! With endless delays, kids shuttling between stepfamilies, a rogue cat on the loose, an important business deal at stake, and missing your grandson’s first Christmas morning, the holiday spirit can disappear quicker than your lost luggage. But sometimes, all you need is to be a little late in order to truly appreciate what you’re rushing toward.
Recommendation: See it if you’re looking for a family-friendly Christmas play.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4.25 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 0
Length: 75 minutes
Intermission: No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Favorite Line: Something like “Why are we wearing matching shirts as a family? We look like a cult!”
Rant(s)
Missing Cat Discovery: It took a bit too long for the characters to realize the cat was missing. It only takes a second to see a cat isn’t in a cage … not 15 seconds!
Other Thought(s)
Immersive Theatre: If they wanted to add a touch of immersive theatre energy to the play, the actors could use the empty seats in the audience front rows as airport chairs.
Theatre Company : Macha Theatre Works
Venue: West of Lenin
Venue Physical Address: 203 N 36th St #204, Seattle, WA 98103
Price: Cheap
Dates: December 2 – 23, 2022
Seating: General Admission
Parking: There’s paid lot parking or free street parking. I can usually find spots in the streets behind the theatre closer to the water.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Dashing Through the Snow play at The Phoenix Theatre. Four short comedy stories at a Texas bed and breakfast. Unexpected Mrs. Claus affair twist. The dramatic self-involved thespian story was hilarious! #corny #xmas #inn #christmas
Synopsis from the Theatre: A mad-capped comedy that’s more fun than a joyride with friends in a one-horse open sleigh! Meet Trina the innkeeper of the Snowflake Inn in Tinsel, Texas. She’s frantically trying to prepare for the holidays while dealing with a mixed bag of challenging guests and employees who leave comedic chaos in their wake
Reviewed Performance: 12/2 Evening
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Recommendation: See it if you like 1) plays by Jones Hope Wooten, 2) ABC Family TV shows with a laugh track 3) or plays portraying stereotypical Texans.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 0
Length: 2 hours
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Texas Portrayal: While a lot of the Texan/Southern acting was purposefully over the top and overtly stereotypical (thankfully there were no cowboys!), the play reminded me of when I used to live in Texas especially when I lived in a tiny town with only had one stop light. The actors also portrayed fancy trailer trash really well in the last segment!
Favorite Line: When Mrs. Claus seductively said something like “You were the LARGEST elf. That’s why I noticed you.”
Rant(s)
Scene Length: The scenes felt too long but this is likely just a problem with the script.
Offstage Dialog: I usually don’t like watching actors conversing with someone offstage via intercom, telephone, or even yelling to someone the audience can’t see. I want to see both speakers involved in the dialog.
Theatre Company : The Phoenix Theatre
Venue: The Phoenix Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 9673 Firdale Ave, Edmonds, WA 98020
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Q Brothers Christmas Carol hip hop musical at ArtsWest. Clever lyrics. Funny cast doubling. Loved the pitiful gangsta Tiny Tim segments. Chriss-my-ass-mas! #theatre #rap #christmas #xmas #CharlesDickens #Scrooge #AChristmasCarol
Synopsis from the Theatre: In this hip-hop remix of Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present, and Future…and a Jamaican Jacob Marley. As Scrooge is shown the path of rhythm and redemption, will he throw off his selfish chains and join the beat? Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL mixes everything from reggae to rock, updating and funkifying this beloved tale of love, forgiveness, and Christmas spirit – and transforming it into something altogether new.
Reviewed Performance: 12/1 Evening
Type: Hip Hop (or Rap?) Musical
World Premiere: No
Live Band/Orchestra: No
Recommendation: See it if 1) you’re familiar with A Christmas Carol, 2) you want to see something different than the traditional play of this story, 3) and you like Hamilton, rap, or hip hop.
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: I’d be curious to see Q Brothers from Chicago perform this.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 0 but they were all good
Length: 85 mins
Intermission: No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Set and Scenic Design: I’m surprised this is the first time I’ve seen a show set designed like a department store. It reminded me of Target. However, the story only briefly took place at the department store. Side note, someone should really make play or musical with the story staged mostly in a department store.
Tiny Tim: I’m actually not a fan of the Tiny Tim character in the book or traditional plays. He’s usually portrayed as too cute, too sentimental, and too pitiful, which I find really annoying. Similarly, Gretl von Trapp from the Sound of Music annoys me too. I LOVED how this musical poked fun of the traditional Tiny Tip portrayal and depicted him as a pitiful hard rapper in a plush gangsta coat w/ a cane instead of a crutch.
Belle and Young Scrooge: The romantic scenes with Belle and Ben (aka eBENnezer Scrooge) were hilarious especially the parody “Let’s Get Fiscal” instead of the Olivia Newton-John song “Let’s Get Physical.”
Ghost Light: I don’t know if it was intentional but it was cleaver using a theatre ghost light-looking prop as part of the ghost of Christmas past segment.
Scrooge Dances: It looked cool when the spirits used their magic to make Scrooge dance
Rant(s)
Pitch: In the first number, I could hear someone going out of pitch, which worried me for what was in store for the rest of the show. Fortunately, those pitch issues eventually resolved after that opening number when the lyrics became more rap-like. Or maybe the offender just needed one song to warm up their voice.
Accompaniment: A live band would significantly elevate this show. Had I known that there was no live band, I might not have given this show a chance since pre-recorded accompaniment tends to make musicals more karaoke-like. Plus, I can usually hear when the singers aren’t in-sync with the recorded accompaniment as opposed to a live band making impromptu timing adjustments to follow the singer’s rhythm. Despite the recorded accompaniment, I did not notice these two common problems in this show, and I have no regrets attending. It probably helped that the music was hip hop (or rap?) which tends to have more synthesized sounds that don’t typically require a traditional musical band. Plus, rappers tend to focus more on rhythm than typical singers in a musical, so synchronization problems are probably less.
Other Thought(s)
Burp: Will someone leave me a comment in my social media links below telling me what the burping thing was in the Cratchit household? Was it their youngest baby? Were they talking about eating it? Thanks Corinne (@tigersandgold) and Hannah (@paintastory) for clarifying in Instagram. Yes, the burps were from their other kid and yes they were talking about eating him. LOL, weird!
Christmas Light Necklace: There were Christmas light necklaces (see my video below) placed on random chairs. It’s a fun idea but I was a little confused if we were supposed to wear them during the performance, turn them on during the last number, turn them on after the “curtain call,” and/or or take them home as a gift, etc. Let me know your ideas on the intention in my social media comment links below! I think the most fun scenario would have been for the performers to tell the audience during the last song “Let me see your lights yall! If you don’t have a necklace, wave your phones in the air!” or something.
Theatre Company : ArtsWest
Venue: ArtsWest
Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Price: Cheap to Medium – They have easy pay-what-you-can options in the online ticketing portal so you don’t need to shamefully verbally tell the box office you can’t afford regular-priced tickets.
Dates: November 25 – December 23, 2022
Seating: Assigned
Parking: There are paid lots and free street parking. I usually park on 44th or 45th Ave behind the theatre.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Mr. Dickens & His Carol play at Seattle Rep adapted from the same-titled book. Backstory on how Charles Dickens’ wrote A Christmas Carol. Always cool to see a rotating stage. MJ Seiber’s characters were a delight. Didn’t expect the perpetrator’s reveal in the end. Still working out the mystery behind Tiny Tim’s mom. #theatre #Christmas #xmas
Synopsis from the Theatre: Charles Dickens should be looking forward to Christmas. When his latest book is a flop, putting both his popularity and finances in peril, his publishers give an ultimatum: write a Christmas book within a month or lose everything. Adapted for the stage from Samantha Silva’s critically acclaimed novel, this tale set in the heart of Victorian England weaves a fictional take on Dickens’ past, present, and future into a comedic and poignant new holiday classic.
Reviewed Performance: 11/30 Evening – Opening Night
Type: Play
World Premiere: Yes
Recommendation: See it if you like A Christmas Carol but you want to see something new.
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 13 out of 14
Length: 2.5 hours
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Set and Scenic Design: There were no curtains hiding the left and right side of offstage. I’ve noticed Seattle Rep uses this uncommon scene design more often in recent performances with Ghost and Where We Belong. So the audience was able to see the actors who were not performing, the technical equipment, and the set design pieces that weren’t used in the current scene. This exposed offstage decision seems novel and modern to me … for now.
Clock: The clock at the top of the stage frame was a nice centerpiece. I wish it worked though. If it’s too expensive to create moving hands, maybe they could just project hands on the bare clock face.
Central Contraption: There was a strange-looking contraption at centerstage where much of the action occurred. It had stairs and it could be split in two. The stage could also rotate it to convey a scene location change to the audience, which was effective. Check out my video below for a view of what I’m talking about.
Rant(s)
Microphone: It was difficult to hear the speaking characters and they needed better mic-ing. I actually wondered if they even wore microphones.
Dickens and Christmas References: One of the street urchins told Charles Dickens, “Please sir, I want some more” when Dickens gave the urchin money. There was also an instance where a market seller yelled out “Buy chestnuts on an open fire!” While I appreciate sprinkles of these “easter eggs” in the dialogue that feel like a wink to the audience, the script went too overboard on them.
Other Thought(s)
Tiny Tim’s Mom: Will someone send me a message telling me what happened to Tiny Tim’s mom? I’m so confused and I have some theories but I won’t spoil the story for my readers.
Theatre Company : Seattle Repertory Theatre
Venue: Seattle Repertory Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109
Price: Medium to Expensive
Dates: November 25 to December 23, 2022
Seating: Assigned
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. In those cases, I’ll park further north up on Queen Anne Hill.
Adam Standley and members of the cast of Mr. Dickens and His Carol at Seattle Rep. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.Members of the cast of Mr. Dickens and His Carol at Seattle Rep. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.Adam Standley and Ryan Vincent Anderson in Mr. Dickens and His Carol at Seattle Rep. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.Sunam Ellis and Julie Briskman in Mr. Dickens and His Carol at Seattle Rep. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.Adam Standley and Basil Harris in Mr. Dickens and His Carol at Seattle Rep. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.Members of the cast of Mr. Dickens and His Carol at Seattle Rep. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.
