Category: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center

boom – Play – Blue Hour Theatre Group

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): boom play by Blue Hour Theatre Group at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Modern earth experiences a semi big bang of sorts (or boom). Novel play-within-a-play museum framework. Makes me wonder how future generations will depict us thousands of years from now. Did not expect the twist at the end! Nice touch with the free drinks and raffle. #theatre #evolution #apocalypse #cataclysm #doomsday

Synopsis from the Theatre: A grad student’s online personal ad lures a mysterious journalism student to his subterranean research lab under the pretense of an evening of “no strings attached” sex. But when a major global catastrophic event strikes the planet, their date takes on evolutionary significance and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Will they survive? What about the fish in the tank? And who is that woman pulling levers and playing the timpani? An epic and intimate comedy that spans over billions of years, boom explores the influences of fate versus randomness in the course of one’s life, and life as we know it on the planet.

Reviewed Performance Date: 11/11/22 Evening

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Recommendation: See it if you like plays with 2 people (the 3rd person was more of a narrator who broke the 4th wall) or plays where all the scenes are in one room.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Equity Actors: Zero but they were good.

Length: 90 mins

Intermission?: No

Rant(s)

  • Theatre space was cold and the chairs were uncomfortable.

Other Thought(s)

  • Did the museum exhibit contain androids/robots? Or were we watching a screen? Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas!

Theatre Company : Blue Hour Theatre Group

Venue: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center

Venue Physical Address: 4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106

Price: Cheap

Dates: November 4 to 19, 2022

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Free lot parking. If the primary lot is full, you can park across the street in the park, which is also free.

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Cast and Production Team: See under the pictures/video below.

Other Video +/- Pictures: Photos and videos of production are provided courtesy of the theatre company.

@showsiveseen “#boom” by Blue Hour Theatre Group at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Modern earth experiences a semi #bigBang of sorts. Novel #play-within-a-play #museum framework. Makes me wonder how future generations will depict us years from now. Did not expect the twist at the end! Appreciated the free drinks & raffle. showsiveseen.com/2026 #theatre #evolution #apocalypse #cataclysm #doomsday ♬ Boom Clap (From the Motion Picture Das Schicksal ist ein mieser Verräter) – Charli XCX
RoleName
PlaywrightPeter Sinn Nachtrieb
DirectorBrian Brooks
Production DesignGreg Loproto
Stage ManagerSara Schweid
Technical DirectorJay Strevey
——
JulesBlake Simpson
JoBrittany N. Lael
BarbaraJordan Pontelondolfo

Next to Normal – Musical – Twelfth Night Productions

Watched my 1st/2nd-most favorite musical Next to Normal with Paul. Aside from from the pitch issues (I mean ... it was early in the day), I was impressed. Powerful musical with a realistic (aka sad) commentary/ending on mental health. Is there hope?
Watched my 1st/2nd-most favorite musical Next to Normal with Paul. Aside from from the pitch issues (I mean … it was early in the day), I was impressed. Powerful musical with a realistic (aka sad) commentary/ending on mental health. Is there hope?

Type: Musical

Recommendation: See it! It’s my favorite (or 2nd favorite) musical. Seen it 3 times already … and none of them were professionally produced!

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.5 stars

Negatives: Sometimes actors’ vocal pitch was flat. I suspect this was because I attended an afternoon matinee. It probably would have sounded better during an evening performance when their vocal cords were more warmed up. That being said, any tonal variation would probably have been unnoticeable to the untrained ear.

Story, Script, and Lyrics: Suburban mom with bipolar depression and schizophrenic features. One of the few musicals to win a Pulitzer (which is usually for books and not for stage performances), this piece is so well written and relevant for an over-medicated society (this coming from a pharmacist). It’s a great commentary on the practice of psychiatry. One of the treatments (won’t spoil it) was a bit over the top though. I absolutely love how in the middle of the first act (again, won’t spoil it) the audience caught completely off guard. I felt so betrayed! Such good writing. Unlike most musicals I like to watch, the ending was more realistic (aka sad) than your typical happily-ever-after. Basically, there’s no easy answer to mental illness.

Cast and Theater Company: Well-chosen cast. Hilary Heinz Luthi had a great raw voice for this rock musical. David Naber added a nice ballet-like sinister aspect to the Gabe character. It didn’t hurt that he was great eye candy as well haha. I’ve seen 3 performances from Twelfth Night Productions. Two have been good and was one was mediocre. I’m curious to see what the next one will be like.

Venue and Set: Venue in an old elementary school converted to youth arts center. The performance was actually in the gym. Despite the simple set, the cast worked well with what little they had and it let the writing/acting shine more. My friend said that he preferred this intimate simple production over the national professional tour he saw on the big stage at a major venue. He said it’s easier to experience the raw emotion. Interesting stage effects during the climax (i won’t spoil it!) of the first act.

Music and Audio: What can I say, I love rock/pop musicals. The band was good and the conductor/pianist (Greg Smith) was particularly enthusiastic and expressive.

Price: $ (Low-priced at $20)

Dates: February 16-18 & 23-25, 2018

Seating: General Admission

Link: