Category: Seattle Theatre Group

@showsiveseen Just saw "Back to the Future: The #Musical" at the Paramount Theatre from @broadwaycom Seattle & @Seattle Theatre Group. Starring Caden Brauch & Don Stephenson. Stunning projections & a vibrant celebration of 80s/50s culture, fashion, & music! The story was easy to follow, though the DeLorean tech had a few bumps. Definitely a fun ride through time! Closes 12/22/24 Review: showsiveseen.com/10639 Director: John Rando Music/Lyrics: Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard Stage Managers: Eric Sprosty, @Caitlin Kellermeyer, Malashia Carter, & Domingo Mancuello Conductor: Matt Doebler Choreography: Chris Bailey #BackToTheFuture #DeLorean #timeTravel #theatre #showsiveseen @Back to the Future Broadway ♬ It's Only a Matter of Time – Olly Dobson

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Just saw Back to the Future: The Musical at the Paramount Theatre from Broadway Seattle & Seattle Theatre Group. Starring Caden Brauch & Don Stephenson. Stunning projections & a vibrant celebration of 80s/50s culture, fashion, & music! The story was easy to follow, though the DeLorean tech had a few bumps. Definitely a fun ride through time! #BackToTheFuture #DeLorean #timeTravel

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): A teenager from the 1980s accidentally travels back in time to the 1950s and must find a way to return home to the 80s without drastically altering the course of history.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Great Scott! Back to the Future, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical. Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel,” and “Back in Time.” When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. When Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.

Attended Performance Date: 12/10/24 – Opening Night

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Dynamic

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll probably appreciate/enjoy this more if you saw the movie.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Union Actors: All

Total Actors: Too many to count

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? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Maybe

Mainstream Appeal: High

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

• Story: In most live theatre shows, I often need a few scenes before fully grasping the storyline. However, this musical stood out for its clarity and accessibility, making it easy to follow right from the beginning, even without prior familiarity with the movie.
• Mother: The scenes and songs involving the mother’s (Lorraine played by Zan Berube) misguided romantic love for her time traveling son were delightful, darling, … and oedipal! “Pretty Baby” and “Something About That Boy” reminded me of retro girl group songs like “My Boyfriend’s Back” or the songs from The Marvelous Wonderettes.
• 1950s Hazards: In the song “Cake,” the 1950s ensemble ironically and cheerfully boasted about things from that era that are now recognized as harmful, such as leaded gasoline, cigarettes, asbestos, and DDT insecticide.
• 1980s and 1950s: This show celebrated the distinctive culture, music, and fashion of both the 1980s and 1950s. The musical opened with an overwhelming vomit (in a good way) of garish tubular 80s aesthetics like blaring rock music, workout spandex, preppy plaid, jean jackets, fanny packs, headbands, scrunchies, leg warmers, Polaroid cameras, corniness, bully/geek caricatures, and mullets. This gaudy display starkly contrasted with the more subdued, clean-cut, Grease-like ambiance of the 1950s that emerged later in the performance. Tim Hatley (Scenic/Costume Designer) truly did a remarkable job.
• Seahawks: The slight reference to the Seattle Seahawks and the 12th fan was a nice wink to the audience. I wonder if the cast performs similar gags at other cities.

Rant(s)

• DeLorean Technical Difficulties: Although this production introduced the DeLorean in a spectacularly flashy manner, the iconic vehicle experienced significant technical difficulties at the climax of the show. Such is the unpredictability of live theatre! The performance paused multiple times as the DeLorean repeatedly stalled with the following projected message. I lost count of the scene re-attempts and false starts (perhaps five?) which extended the show by over 45 minutes while the audience gradually trickled out in the dark. Since ‘the show must go on,’ the cast and production team ultimately drastically altered the final scenes, and it was evident that substantial portions were cut. Imagine my FOMO! This is a glaring example of the risks inherent in productions with complex technical requirements. Among the 500+ shows I’ve seen, this was undoubtedly the most severe technical mishap I’ve witnessed. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Kudos to the team for their valiant efforts to continue. I can only imagine the adrenaline coursing through stage managers Eric Sprosty, Caitlin Kellermeyer, Malashia Carter, and Domingo Mancuello during this crisis.

  

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• “21st Century” Song: The second act opener was a thrilling, visually spectacular display, featuring futuristic projections and a light show that beautifully illustrated the concept of the space-time continuum with some surprising stage magic at the end. The only drawback was both the lead singer and the background vocalists were difficult to understand because of poor sound balancing.
• Projections: It is easy for productions to overly rely on projections as a crutch for scenery and this show was no exception. However, it was a well-chosen artistic decision from video designer Finn Ross to utilize projections when depicting the DeLorean vehicle speeding. It was also a clever technique to project video onto a transparent screen between the audience and actors to simulate rain and stairs.
• George McFly: Burke Swanson’s interpretation of George McFly reminded me of a funny sloth.
• Formulaic Artificiality: This musical felt overly artificial and formulaic. Despite the well-executed production (and the fact that I kind of love musical formulas), it came across as too commercialized, as if it was conceived solely to capitalize on the movie’s popularity rather than make a dent in the American theatre canon. While that is already innately difficult for musicals based on movies, it’s still possible like with the superficial Legally Blonde. Back to the Future: The Musical lacked soul, leaving me feeling disconnected. Perhaps my opinion would differ if I saw the movie first.

Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group

Venue: Paramount Theatre

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

Price Range: $40-150 plus the insane Ticketmaster fees. Buy your ticket at the box office to avoid the exorbitant 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: December 10 – 22, 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.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.stgpresents.org/events/back-to-the-future/
• https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/back-to-the-future/
• https://www.backtothefuturemusical.com/
• Program

Pictures: See production pictures below by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

Cast and Production Team: See pictures below.

@showsiveseen "Funny Girl" classic #musical from Broadway Seattle & @Seattle Theatre Group at Paramount Theatre. Starring @Hannah Shankman w/ her effortlessly powerful steady voice. Mister Arnstein understudied by Travis Ward-Osborne. What a spectacle of costumes, (tap) dance, & showstoppers! Closes tomorrow w/ only 4 more performances left! Review: showsiveseen.com/9850 Director: Michael Mayer Choreography: @✨Ellenore Scott✨ & @Ayodele Casel Conductor: Elaine Davidson Stage Manager: Jovon E. Shuck & Kyle Dannahey #funnyGirl #theatre #showsiveseen @FUNNY GIRL ♬ Don't Rain on My Parade (Glee Cast Version) – Glee Cast

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Funny Girl classic musical from Broadway Seattle and Seattle Theatre Group at Paramount Theatre. Starring Hannah Shankman with her effortlessly powerful steady voice. Mister Arnstein understudied by Travis Ward-Osborne. What a spectacle of costumes, (tap) dance, and showstoppers!

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): An average-looking funny girl tries to make it in show biz and win the affections of a rich man. This story is based on the real-life Fanny Brice.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, an updated book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, choreography by Ellenore Scott, and direction from Michael Mayer, this love letter to the theatre has the whole shebang! The sensational Broadway revival dazzles with celebrated classic songs, including “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened—she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 9/24/24 – Get your tickets now since this national tour leaves Seattle 9/29/24!

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? No

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you might appreciate the jokes more if you’re Jewish American.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Equity Actors: All

Total Number of Actors: Too many to count

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium 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 attended a community theatre production at the San Pedro Playhouse in San Antonio.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? I think so

Mainstream Appeal: High

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

• Vocals: Hannah Shankman’s (who played the main character Fanny Brice) voice was an effortlessly steady powerhouse (if not a tad too nasal). I would love to hear her sing jazz standards. She really shined in “Cornet Man,” “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “The Music That Makes Me Dance.”
• Showstopping (or “Show-pausing?”) Applause: There were several extended ovations throughout the show when the actors paused longer than normal till the crowd finished clapping like after “I’m the Greatest Star,” “The Music That Makes Me Dance,” and Eddie’s tap dance solo.
• Stage Bulbs: The light bulbs surrounding the stage opening conveyed an old timey showbiz vibe that perfectly complemented the story’s subject matter.
• Costumes: Costume designer Susan Hilferty curated an expansive, diverse, and visually captivating repertoire. Additionally, it was a wise artistic decision to showcase the costumes from each major song at the show bookends.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Casting: The Fanny Brice main character role is best suited for an actress who is more homely or at least awkward. Hannah Shankman fit neither of those requirements since she was prettier than average, and she portrayed her role with confidence like the quirky Zooey Deschanel. The character would have been more convincing if Hannah roughed up her face or sold the awkwardness to the audience more. She redeemed herself a bit during the standing ovations when she humbly accepted the audience’s applause.
• “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” Song: Fanny’s extreme reluctance to perform this song was incredibly puzzling. She’d have to look like a disfigured dog to merit the extraordinary efforts taken to avoid performing the song. The assholes who sang “If a Girl Isn’t Pretty” gave her this complex!
• Gender Commentary: The script is a wonderful commentary on binary gender roles. Society internalizes obsession with women’s appearances while men aren’t examined with the same scrutiny. (Even my previous two bullet points were about a woman’s appearance!) It was refreshing to see moments of Fanny’s resilience and positivity despite society’s expectations pulling her down. While the show ended on an empowering feminist note, the misogynistic pathway to get there was sometimes painful to watch. The first verse to “You Are Woman, I Am Man” embodied this pathway encouraging women to make themselves smaller so their insecure partners can feel like big men. Fanny was a strong independent woman who don’t need no man!

Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group

Venue: Paramount Theatre

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

Price Range: $40-150 plus the insane Ticketmaster fees. Buy your ticket at the box office to avoid the exorbitant 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: September 24 to 29, 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.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• X (Formerly “Twitter”)
• Facebook
• YouTube

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/
• https://www.stgpresents.org/events/funny-girl/
• https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/funny-girl/
• Program

Pictures: See pictures below by Matthew Murphy from MurphyMade.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below. In the 9/24/24 performance, Travis Ward-Osborne played the Nick Arnstein character, Vinny Andaloro played the Mr. Renaldi character, Emily Anne Nester played Alex Hartman’s track, and Sean Seamus Thompson played Mathew Fedorek’s track.

@showsiveseen @Peter Pan the Musical family-friendly #musical national tour from @Seattle Theatre Group & Broadway Seattle at the Paramount. Starring @nolan and @Cody Garcia. Impressive stage magic with aerial flying, fairy effects, shadow tricks, and beautiful projections that would certainly fill children & adults with wonder. Closes 8/25. Review: showsiveseen.com/9499 Director: Lonny Price Stage Manager: Megan Belgam & Kendall Stevens Conductor: Jonathan Marro #theatre #showsiveseen #peterPan #Neverland #CaptainHook ♬ I Won't Grow Up – The Fools

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Peter Pan family-friendly musical national tour from Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway Seattle at the Paramount. Starring Nolan Almeida and Cody Garcia. Impressive stage magic with aerial flying, fairy effects, shadow tricks, and beautiful projections that would certainly fill children and adults with wonder. Closes 8/25.

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): It’s the classic story of Peter Pan, the magical boy (accompanied by his fairy Tinkerbell) who never grows up. He flies Wendy and her brothers to Neverland, where they encounter the lost boys, Tiger Lilly with her indigenous gang, and Captain Hook with his pirate band.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: This high-flying musical has been thrilling audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new adaptation by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse, directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The adventure begins when Peter Pan and his mischievous sidekick, Tinker Bell, visit the bedroom of the Darling children late one night. With a sprinkle of fairy dust and a few happy thoughts, the children are taken on a magical journey they will never forget. This extraordinary musical full of excitement and adventure features iconic and timeless songs including “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Neverland.” PETER PAN embraces the child in us all so go on a journey from the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning – your entire family will be Hooked!

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 8/21 – Buy your tickets now since the show closes on 8/25!

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? No, it was dynamically changing

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably appreciate this show more if you’re already familiar with the classic tale in any iteration. I personally saw the Disney film and the movie Hook.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Equity Actors: All

Total Number of Actors: 24

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours, which might be too long for a show targeted to kids

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

• Stage Magic:
  • Aeriel Flying: This production expertly incorporated aerial flying throughout the show starting with Peter Pan’s glitter filled grand entrance. The actors seamlessly transitioned between flying and walking. The aeriel flying would surely fill children with a sense of wonder. I certainly personally wondered when they found the time to unobtrusively attach and detach their flying cables on-stage in the middle of scenes!
  • Fairy Effects: This production portrayed the Tinkerbell fairy well with “simple” little light bulbs, which often required coordination between actors and some lite puppetry skills.
  • Shadow Tricks: Peter Pan’s shadow was so convincing. It “moved” scenery pieces like a picture frame and curtains. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t Nolan Almedia’s actual shadow until the last half of the scene. Tight synchronicity!
  • Projections: Thankfully, the projections weren’t an overused crutch like I’ve often seen in other shows. The projections augmented the flying scene spectacularly. However, it was a cop out to portray the actors in the projections during part of that scene. The vibrant realistic backgrounds blended well with the physical scenery pieces. They sometimes created wonderful transitions between settings like the jungle and ship. However, there were a few moments where movement was obvious cheesy fake CGI like water splashes, flying birds, and falling leaves.
• Scenic Design: I love the lush, vibrant green motif, especially the beautiful jungle sets.
• Bookends: Peter Pan’s visits to the real world nursery at the beginning and end of the show mirrored each other well.
• Pirates: Cody Garcia and Kurt Perry flamboyantly portrayed Captain Hook and Smee respectively. It was cleaver to see their band of pirates as an actual music band.

Rant(s)

• Kid Friendly: This is probably the most childish show I’ve seen from Broadway Across America in Seattle, San Antonio, and Houston … even more than any Disney national tour musical! I guess this is appropriate if you’re taking kids to the theatre. But it will definitely turn off childless grinch patrons like me. A part of me thinks this show is better suited for professional children’s theatre (like Seattle Children’s Theatre) instead of the Paramount. Adults acting childish with exaggerated movements (when theatre movements are already inherently exaggerated) is not my cup of tea. I also generally detest seeing elementary school children on stage since they typically milk the cuteness factor, which distracts from their actual performing talent.
  • Dying Scene (No Spoiler): Because I detested the childish elements of this show, I was drawn (like a pendulum thirsty for grown-up theatre) to the most solemn scene in the show when a character was dying. But they ruined the moment by breaking the fourth wall (vomit) and resolving it with a family-friendly pantomime cop out. Die Mufasa!
  • Moon: WTF was the talking moon? That random transient character was uncalled for and unnecessary. It shattered the suspension of disbelief. Get out of here!

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Mermaid: Unlike most Peter Pan story iterations, there were no mermaid characters in this script. Even the Peter and the Starcatcher prequel included mermaids!
• Score: The songs were fine, but not iconic. They were well-performed, but not inherently memorable. The kid-friendly nature didn’t help things out either. For example, I wasn’t a fan of Disney-like “Friends Forever” and that god-awful song about crowing. Speaking of Disney, I wish they could include some Disney Peter Pan songs like “You Can Fly.”
• Indigenous Theme: I noticed that Larissa FastHorse (who is Native American) was credited for book modifications to the 1954 script. I’m so curious how drastic her changes were to the portrayal of indigenous characters. I remember in my woke 2024 hindsight that the Disney film was racially problematic.
  • Tiger Lilly: Tiger Lilly’s (played by Raye Zaragoza) song lines were often in a lower alto-ish range. With most female leads singing soprano, I wonder what the reason for this musical decision was. Side note, Raye Zaragoza in this role strangely reminded me of Jennifer Garner in the movie 13 Going on 30.

Theatre Company: National Tour Brought by Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group

Venue: Paramount Theatre

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

Price Range: $40 to 135 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: August 21 to August 25, 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.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• X (Formerly “Twitter”)
• Facebook
• YouTube

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/peter-pan/
• https://www.stgpresents.org/calendar/15148/peter-pan
• https://peterpanontour.com/
• Program

Pictures: See pictures below by Matthew Murphy from MurphyMade

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.