Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Mark St. Germain’s “Becoming Dr. Ruth” one-person play starring Naomi Jacobson. Surprisingly, the show was less about sex advice from granny and more about storytelling Jewish heritage. Inspired me to keep a diary. Dates are an anchor!
Recommendation See it if you’re okay with 4th wall acknowledgements or action-less one-person plays. Audience members who appreciate Jewish heritage or good storytelling would also enjoy this show.
Synopsis from the Theatre: She’s America’s favorite sex therapist! Before she became Dr. Ruth, Karola Ruth Siegel had to flee Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport, become a sharpshooter in Jerusalem, and survive as a single mother in America. Filled with irrepressible wit, joy, and honesty, Becoming Dr. Ruth tells the triumphant and life-affirming story of a woman who—through her perseverance, indefatigable spirit, and bravery— carved her own unique place in the world. Acclaimed actress Naomi Jacobson reprises the role that has garnered her ovations across the country in this tour-de-force one woman play. Becoming Dr. Ruth promises an unforgettable, hilarious, and uplifting evening of theater that will touch your soul and heart. Dr. Ruth is a sex therapist and educator and speaks about sex in a matter-of-fact way appropriate for the radio. Contains short descriptions of war and Nazi Germany with one moment recalling a graphic war injury.
Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 1/19/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen.
Type: One-person Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: It was more storytelling
Several or Few Settings/Locations: It was more storytelling
Static (Stationary) Set? Yes
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably enjoy this more if you’re familiar with Holocaust history.
Defined Plot/Storyline: The storytelling was chronological, but it didn’t feel like a defined plot.
Equity Actors: 1
Total Number of Actors: 1
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours
Was there an intermission? No
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
Favorite Line: “I get very aroused, with a strong erection, whenever I see a cow.”
Rant(s)
Jokes on Size: The script was too gratuitous with jokes about Dr. Ruth’s tiny size. (Sigh), we get it, she was short!
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Dr. Ruth mentioned Zionism, but she didn’t make a stance either way on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It would have been a timely comment given today’s current events. Either way, it would have also been a controversial stance I would have loved to hear since Seattle tends to favor one side while the playwrights tend to favor the opposite side.
Jewish Heritage vs Sex: Surprisingly, Dr Ruth didn’t talk about sex much in this play. Most of it was during the last 15-30 minutes of the show. The script was more about the Holocaust and its aftermath. Interestingly enough, she mentioned that sex isn’t shameful in the Jewish tradition like it is with Christians. “I couldn’t help but wonder,” is that why there so many Jewish references in the Sex and the City TV show?
Jewish Prejudice: It was interesting to hear that Swiss, Polish, (and Israeli?) Jews looked down on German Jews who survived the Holocaust. We, as humans, are horrible to each other.
Theatre Company: Village Theatre
Venue: Village Theatre
Venue Physical Address:
Issaquah: 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA 98027
Issaquah: Free street parking and certain free parking lots. Lot parking availability is very difficult to find though. I’ve basically given up on that. I usually end up parking on Rainier Boulevard North. As a last resort, you can always find parking at the library but it’s a little far. Remember, there’s a bottom floor parking lot under the library’s main parking lot that mostly only locals know about.
Everett: Free street parking and some paid parking lots/garages.
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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures below by Auston James.
Naomi Jacobson as Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth at Village Theatre (2024). Photo by Auston James.Naomi Jacobson as Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth at Village Theatre (2024). Photo by Auston James.Naomi Jacobson as Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth at Village Theatre (2024). Photo by Auston James.Naomi Jacobson as Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth at Village Theatre (2024). Photo by Auston James.
Becoming Dr. Ruth play opening night at Village Theatre. Performing until 2/18/24 in Issaquah then performing till 3/17/24 in Everett. Stay tuned for my full review! #Jew #Jewish #holocaust #showsiveseen #theatre #storytelling
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Beautiful jukebox musical at Village Theatre featuring retro aesthetic & Carole King songs. After seeing the national tour twice & this local production once, I’d still see it again! Starring Sarah Rose Davis. Directed by Lisa Shriver & music directed by RJ Tancioco.
Recommendation
See it, especially if you enjoy Carole King’s music.
Synopsis from the Theatre: She wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Beautiful tells the touching and true story of chart-topping musical legend Carole King’s remarkable rise to stardom: beginning as an ordinary girl with extraordinary talent, charting her rock ‘n roll songwriting with husband Gerry Goffin, exploring her relationship to fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, and forging her path to becoming one of the most successful and enduring solo artists in popular music history.
Chock full of your favorite hits like “One Fine Day,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “The Locomotion,” “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and so many more, Beautiful is more than just beautiful music— it’s an inspiring story of a groundbreaking female artist who forged her own path in the male-dominated music industry, finding her own true voice and moving the earth for us all.
Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 11/17/23 – See my previous preview posts here.
Type: Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) Set: No
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’ll probably appreciate this musical more if you’re familiar with songs from Carole King +/- her colleagues Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Don’t let that stop you though because I was only familiar with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” when I first saw the national tour 7 years ago. I didn’t even know she wrote the song until I saw the show! Now, the musical soundtrack is one of my favorite albums on my theatre playlist.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Equity Actors: 12
Total Number of Actors: 18
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours
Was there an intermission? Yes
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I saw the national tour twice. I think this local professional production did the national tour justice.
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Of course! But I’d probably only see professional productions like this.
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
“Some Kind of Wonderful” Harmony: Sarah Rose Davis (who played Carole King) & Jason Kappus (who played Gerry Goffin) made effortless, simple, sweet harmony in “Some Kind of Wonderful.”
Funny Lines: The script is filled with funny sly punch lines like “marriage … when the fun part of life begins!”
Supporting Role Casting: The delightful Adam Marino was well-cast as Barry Mann, a neurotic Jewish hypochondriac. Avery Clark also portrayed a funny, likable musical producer Don Kirshner.
Costume Design: Cynthia Weil (played by Krystle Armstrong-Alan) always dressed so chic and trendy. Great wardrobe choices from costume designer Melanie Taylor Burgess.
“Uptown” Soloist: Nalicia Hennings powerfully delivered the “Uptown” song.
Choreography: Lisa Shriver developed charming choreography for the retro girl groups and boy bands.
Scenic Design: I loved Grace Laubacher’s nostalgic 1960s set designs where the girl groups and boy bands performed on American Bandstand. It was reminiscent of Hollywood Squares. There was also a more modern motif of various straight lines of neon lights, which reminded me of the lights in 5th Avenue Theatre’s Into the Woods. However, while I do love clean lines, old-timey glamour bulbs would have fit the theme better in the “On Broadway” number.
“One Fine Day” Staging Placement: When Carole King sang her ending reprisal in “One Fine Day,” the on-stage cast faced away from the audience to show that she was grappling beside herself backstage. It was good artistic deviation from the national tour’s portrayal since it further highlighted the contrast between the joyous song and what she was feeling inside.
Rant(s)
Piano and Strings: For a song that the script dialogue specifically calls for strings, it was disappointing to only hear synthesized strings in “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” But I suppose it’s not very economical to hire a string section for just one song! Additionally, I noticed the synthesized piano sounded too artificial like a ratty old Clavinova with bad acoustics. I noticed this piano sound problem is common in live local (professional or not) theatre. I’m not sure that there’s a good solution for this. Maybe upload more realistic audio samples in the existing keyboard or just buy a new keyboard?
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Carole King: Sarah Rose Davis sounded similar to the Carol King performers in the national tour and the musical’s original cast recording. I had to check the program to see if she was previously part of the original or touring production.
Weird Audience: The opening night audience strangely wasn’t “giving” at the right moments. There were times I would have expected them to applause more enthusiastically. Even more peculiar, they went wild at the calmest song “You’ve Got a Friend” when they clapped way too long. That being said, it was a touching song/scene.
Ensemble: Most (if not all) ensemble performers took turns as the lead singer in their own song. I don’t remember this from national tour … maybe it’s because I sat so far back! I literally sat in the second-to-last balcony row of the Paramount Theatre the first time I saw this musical.
Theatre Company: Village Theatre
Venue: Village Theatre
Venue Physical Address:
Issaquah: 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA 98027
Issaquah: Free street parking and certain free parking lots. Lot parking availability is very difficult to find though. I’ve basically given up on that. I usually end up parking on Rainier Boulevard North. As a last resort, you can always find parking at the library but it’s a little far. Remember, there’s a bottom floor parking lot under the library’s main parking lot that most non-locals don’t know about.
Everett: Free street parking and some paid parking lots/garages.
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Krystle Armstrong-Alan (Cynthia Weil) and Adam Marino (Barry Mann) in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).Sarah Rose Davis and Jason Kappus in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).Montel Butler, Nehemiah Hooks, Charles L. Simmons, and Chandler T. Thomas in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).Sarah Rose Davis in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).Simone Alene, Anteia DeLaney, Alexandria J. Henderson, and Nalica Hennings in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).Anteia DeLaney (Little Eva) and the cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).Krystle Armstrong-Alan, Avery Clark, Sarah Rose Davis, and Adam Marino in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Village Theatre. Photo by Auston James (2023).
Role
Name
Shirelle / Shirley / Ensemble
Simone Alene
Cynthia Weil
Krystle Armstrong-Alan*
Drifter / Ensemble
Montel Butler*
Don Kirshner
Avery Clark*
Carole King
Sarah Rose Davis*
Shirelle / Little Eva / Ensemble
Anteia DeLaney
Genie Klein
Angela DiMarco*
Shirelle / Janelle Woods / Ensemble
Alexandria J. Henderson*
Shirelle / “Uptown” Soloist / Lucille / Ensemble
Nalica Hennings
Drifter / Ensemble, Dance Captain
Nehemiah Hooks*
Gerry Goffin
Jason Kappus*
Betty / Ensemble
Savannah Lynn
Barry Mann
Adam Marino
Marilyn / Ensemble
Cherisse Martinelli
Righteous Brother / Ensemble
Matthew Posner*
Drifter / Nick / Ensemble
Charles L. Simmons*
Drifter / Ensemble
Chandler T. Thomas*
Righteous Brother/ Neil Sedaka / Lou Adler / Ensemble
Jason Weitkamp*
—
—
Janelle Woods
Simone Alene
Marilyn
Savannah Lynn
Carole King
Taylor Niemeyer-Symons*
Gerry Goffin
Matthew Posner*
Barry Mann /The Righteous Brothers
Casey Raiha
Cynthia Weil / Betty / Genie Klein
Alexandra Shephard
Drifters
Jeffery Wallace Il
Don Kirshner
Jason Weitkamp*
Shirelles
Madison Willis
—
—
Director / Choreographer
Lisa Shriver
Artistic Director
Adam Immerwahr
Managing Director
Laura Lee
Book
Douglas McGrath
Lyricists and Composers
Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Orchestrations, Vocal, and Incidental Music Arranger
Steve Sidwell
Set Designer
Grace Laubacher
Sound Designer
Darron L West
Costume Designer
Melanie Taylor Burgess
Projection Designer
Ahren Buhmann
Music Director
R.J. Tancioco
Lighting Designer
Robert J. Aguilar
Stage Manager
Laurel Nichols*
Assistant Stage Managers
Isabella Marziello, Miranda C. Pratt*
Production Assistant
Ethan Swim
Associate Choreographer
Daniel Cruz
Associate Music Director
Michael Nutting
Associate Costume Designer
Brynne Johnson-McKeen
Associate Lighting Designer
Casey Price
Assistant Director
Harry Turpin
Vocal Coach
Aaron M. Davis Norman
Intimacy Director
Kathryn Van Meter
Dialect Coach
Yusef Seevers
Casting Director
Jessica Spencer
Head Stage Carpenter (Issaquah)
Whitman Paylor
Head Stage Carpenter (Everett)
Chris Mikolaizik
Lead Deck, Automation (Issaquah)
Olof Sander
Lead Deck. Automation (Everett)
Justin Babbitt
Lead Deck, Props (Issaquah)
Paige Donald
Lead Deck. Props (Everett)
Kyle Morgan
Key Stage Carpenter (Issaquah)
Anna Vraney
Key Stage Carpenter (Everett)
Leila Cheung
Lead Scenic Carpenter
Blake Whitmore
Lead Scenic Artist
Lilly Noto
Head Electrician (Issaquah)
Paul Arnold
Head Electrician (Everett)
Brandon Cullinan
Follow Spot Operators
Casey Leugemors Johnny Venegas
Programmer (Issaquah)
Zac Andersen
Programmer (Everett)
Meghan McNeal
Head Sound Engineer (Issaquah)
Eric Fowler
Head Sound Engineer (Everett)
Erik Siegling
Lead Audio/A2 (Issaquah)
Jarad Edwards
Lead Audio/A2 (Everett)
Corbin Hopkins
Wig Assistants
Jordan Kearns, Kaleena Jordan, Jenn Hill, Juliette Lewis
Projection Technician
Derick Avitt
Wardrobe Head (Issaquah)
Kate Simpson
Wardrobe Head (Everett)
Sean Holser
Lead Wardrobe
Malena Langlie, Kali Pohle
Key Wardrobe
Katy Morrison
Costume Shop Technicians
Kali Pohle, Michelle Grimm, Emily Alexander, Janessa Styck
—
—
Conductor / Keyboard I
R.J. Tancioco
Keyboard 2
Michael Nutting
Keyboard 3
Michael Matlock
Guitar 1
Justin Davis
Guitar 2
Greg Fulton
Bass
Chris Jones
Drums
James “Rif” Reif
Percussion
Brian Kirk
Reed 1
Derek Smith
Reed 2
Jay Easton
Trumpet
Greg Lyons
Trombone
Keith Winkle
Substitute Musicians
Ben Bender Bruce Carpenter Olivia Hamilton Ken Murphy Eric Patterson Anthony Pooley Daniel Rainard Michael Reznick Rebecca Smith Nathan Vetter
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical opening night at Village Theatre. Performing until 1/28/24. Saw the national tour twice before this production. Stay tuned for my full review! #caroleKing
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood light play at Village Theatre starring Ricky Spaulding & directed by Adam Immerwahr. Lots of good fight choreography. Neat stage magic to make the arrows “fly.” #robinHood
Synopsis from the Theatre: Robbing from the rich has never been so fun! A greedy prince has taken control of England, and it is up to Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men—and women!—to fight for justice and champion for the underdog. From comic mastermind Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You) comes this rollicking and inventive play, packed with delightful thrills, amorous exploits, contagious laughs, and great beloved heroes like Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian. So, get ready to dodge an arrow or two—you won’t want to miss a moment of this swashbuckling adventure!
Static Set: Yes, but there was a rotating component to the stage
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you would probably enjoy this more if you’re familiar with the major elements of the Robin Hood tales. All my knowledge comes from a Wishbone book and an MS-DOS game Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Equity Actors: 6 – Surprisingly, an Equity actor didn’t fill the lead role Robin Hood. That being said, Ricky Spaulding has always been great in the roles I’ve seen him play.
Total Number of Actors: 8
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours
Was there an intermission?: Yes
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Probably not
Recommendation: See it, especially if you’re familiar with the Robin Hood tales or if you enjoy English-style slapstick-like comedy
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Fight Choreography: I was reviewing the b-roll video the theatre sent to me for my TikToks and I realized the actors really could have been injured if they mistimed the fight choreography!
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Breaking Character: I think I missed an interaction between Nathaniel Tenenbaum (who I often see in flamboyant roles) and the other actors where he did something so funny that they were near breaking character. FOMO!
Theatre Company: Village Theatre
Venue: Village Theatre
Venue Physical Address:
Issaquah: 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA 98027
Everett: 2710 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
Price: Medium
Ticket Affordability Options: Check out their discount tickets page. TodayTix and Goldstar usually offer good options too, but I can’t seem to find any tickets for this show on their websites.
Dates:
Issaquah: September 12 to October 15, 2023
Everett: October 21 – November 12, 2023
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking:
Issaquah: Free street parking and some free parking lot. Lot parking availablity is pretty difficult to find though. I’ve basically given up on that. I usually end up parking on Rainier Boulevard North. As a last resort, I think you can always find parking at the library but it’s a little far. Remember, there’s a bottom floor parking lot under the library’s main parking lot that most non-locals don’t know about.
Everett: Free street parking and some paid parking lots/garages.
Mark Emerson, Billy Finn, and Nathaniel Tenenbaum in Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood at Village Theatre. Photo by Elise Bakketun (2023).Alegra Batara and Ricky Spaulding in Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood at Village Theatre. Photo by Elise Bakketun (2023).Brandon O’Neill in Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood at Village Theatre. Photo by Elise Bakketun (2023).
Role
Name
Maid Marian and others
Alegra Batara
Little John and others
Quinlan Corbett*
Sheriff of Nottingham and others
Mark Emerson*
Sir Guy of Gisbourne and others
Billy Finn*
Deorwynn and others (Dance Captain)
Arika Matoba*
Friar Tuck and others (Fight Captain)
Brandon O’Neill*
Robin Hood
Ricky Spaulding
Prince John and others
Nathaniel Tenenbaum*
—
—
Understudy for Little John, Prince John, and others
Kyle Henick
Understudy for Friar Tuck, Sheriff of Nottingham, and others
Jason Marr
Understudy for Robin Hood, Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and others
Michael Nevarez
Understudy for Maid Marian, Deorwynn, and others
Chelsey Sheppard
—
—
Director
Adam Immerwahr
Choreographer
Cy Paolantonio
Fight Director
J. Allen Suddeth
Stage Managers
Ruth Eitemiller* Susannah Butler*
Scenic Designer
Misha Kachman
Sound Designer and Composer
Nick Kourtides
Original Costume Designer
Jess Goldstein
Costumes Reimagined By
Chelsea Cook
Lighting Designer
Nancy Schertler
Production Assistant
Nicola Krause
Assistant Stage Manager
Brigid Ridge
Associate Director
Jasmine Joshua
Associate Fight Director
Geoffrey Alm
Associate Scenic Designer
Brandon Riel
Associate Lighting Designer
Casey Price
Associate Sound Designer
Andrew Rovner
Dramaturg
Ellen Peltz
Casting Director
Jes Spencer
Intimacy Director
Kathryn Van Meter
Dialect Coach
Gin Hammond
Head Electrician
Paul Arnold (Issaquah) Brandon Cullinan (Everett)
Head Sound Engineer
Evan Duckworth (Issaquah) Steven Younkins (Everett)
Head Stage Carpenter
Whitman Paylor (Issaquah) Chris Mikolaizik (Everett)
Lead Deck, Automation
Justin Babbitt
Lead Deck, Props
Olof Sander (Issaquah) Kyle Morgan (Everett)
Programmer
Zac Andersen (Issaquah) Meghan McNeal (Everett)
Wardrobe Head
Kate Simpson (Issaquah)
Lead Wardrobe
Malena Langlie
Stitchers
Kali Pohle Michelle Grimm Katy Morrison
* Member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of the Professional Actor and Stage Managers in the United States
