Shows I've Seen | Theatre Reviews – Page 32 – Musicals, Plays, Concerts, Oh My! (and other Performing Arts)

A Night of Broadway Hits – Concert – Non-stop Seattle Band

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): “A Night of Broadway Hits” concert by Non-Stop Seattle band at Benaroya Hall featuring Bethanie/Madison Willis, Nalica Hennings (my favorite!), Po Leapai, & Charles Simmons. Been meaning to see this band for a while! Proud to have known all songs in their large repertoire except one. #musicals #musicalTheatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Don’t throw away your shot to see Non-Stop at Benaroya Hall this summer! This musical group performs songs from hit Broadway shows including Wicked, Rent, Hamilton, Little Shop of Horrors, In the Heights, Spamalot, Waitress, The Little Mermaid and many others! Non-Stop’s band members have performed at Washington’s favorite musical theater houses, such as The 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Opera and Taproot Theatre! With five top vocalists and a large band, Non-Stop is sure to make you want to dance and sing along to some of your favorite Broadway and Disney tunes. If you see it once, we promise you’ll be back!

Reviewed Performance: 7/29/23

Type: Concert

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be familiar with popular mainstream modern musicals like Wicked, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, In the Heights, Spamalot, Waitress, The Little Mermaid and ESPECIALLY Hamilton.

Live Band/Orchestra: Violin, Drums, Guitar, and Piano

Recommendation: See it if you like modern Broadway musicals especially those written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes, if they have a new song list

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.5 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours

Intermission Included: Yes, which I thought was strange for a concert but fitting for a concert of musical theatre songs. I wish more non-Broadway concerts contain an intermission.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

“Choral-ography”: Most of the performers were not stiff and incorporated fun “background singer moves” … in a good way!

Rant(s)

Transitions: There were no transitional spiels between songs. Like small talk, song transitions offer no substance but are so important to avoid awkward pauses.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Set List: The repertoire contained too much Lin-Manuel Miranda (especially Hamilton). Some may argue there can never be too much Hamilton, but it’s honestly not one of my top 10 musicals … blasphemy I know! Other than the Hamilton songs, the rest of the set list was diverse and well-selected. In future Broadway-themed concerts, I suggest they only perform 1-2 songs max from a single musical. Maybe replace a couple Hamilton songs with portions of The Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Hairspray, and Dreamgirls. Maybe throw in a classic musical like The Wiz.

Song	Musical	Comments
Zero to Hero	Disney’s Hercules Movie
Wait for It	Hamilton
When You’re Home	In the Heights	Fun Choral-ography
My Strongest Suit	Aida	Great lead by Nalica Hennings
Make Them Hear You(?)	Ragtime(?)
Suddenly Seymor	Little Shop of Horrors
My Shot	Hamilton
Satisfied	Hamilton
Bend and Snap	Legally Blonde
Seasons of Love	Rent
You’ll Be Back	Hamilton	Transitioned to intermission
Opening Up	Waitress
Mama Will Provide	Once on This Island
Wait for Me	Hadestown
Take Me or Leave Me	Rent
Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)	Hamilton	Nice violin solo
The Song That Goes Like This	Spamalot
Part of Your World	Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Guns and Ships	Hamilton
Defying Gravity	Wicked
Waving Through A Window	Dear Evan Hansen
96,000	In the Heights
Schuyler Sisters	Hamilton	Encore

Theatre Company: Non-stop Seattle Band

Venue: Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall

Venue Physical Address: 200 University St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Cheap to Medium

Dates: July 29, 2023 – There was only one show, but they frequently perform various places in Puget Sound.

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: I usually walk or transit here especially since the light rail station is directly underneath Benaroya Hall. Other than that, there’s obviously paid garage/street parking since this venue is in downtown. I think the cheapest garage lot is generally the Russell Investments Center garage (1301 2nd Ave #1950, Seattle, WA 98101). I don’t recommend parking in the Benaroya Hall garage since it’s really expensive and I imagine it takes a long time to exit after a performance.

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Band: See after video below

@showsiveseen "A Night of #Broadway Hits" #concert by @Non-Stop Seattle Band at @Seattle Symphony #Benaroya Hall featuring Bethanie/Samantha Willis, Nalica Hennings (my favorite!), Po Leapai, & Charles Simmons. Been meaning to see this band for a while! Proud to have known all songs in their large repertoire except one. Review: showsiveseen.com/6275 #musicals #musicalTheatre #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ Give My Regards to Broadway – Judy Garland

Role	Name
Singers	Bethanie Willis Madison Willis Nalica Hennings Po Leapai Charles Simmons
Violinist	Alicia Rinehart
Drummer	Jamael Anthony Nance
Guitarist	Quinn Knobbe
Pianist and Conductor	Aimee Hong

Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea – Play – Dacha Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Julia Izumi’s play “Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea” by Dacha Theatre at the lawn/park behind UW’s Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater. Later at Port Townsend’s Chetzemoka Park. Directed by Kate Drummond. Playful ode to Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.” Complete with a sentient cloud & a talking cow. #littleMermaid #theLittleMermaid #HansChristianAndersen

Synopsis from the Theatre: The Little Mermaid is Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved and well-known fairy tale, which is why it’s NOT the story our friend, Dolan, is going to tell you today. No, he’s going to tell you the story about a Little Rain Cloud who falls in love with a human. They are not the same story at all, he swears. Julia Izumi’s brilliant play is a collision of multiple narratives, framed as a sort-of retelling of The Little Mermaid that erupts into a voyage through Hans Christian Andersen’s tempestuous real-life relationships. Brimming with heartfelt candor, Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea is a deep-sea dive into what love really looks like.

Reviewed Performance: 7/21/23 (Opening Night) – Sorry for the late review! Work has been completely bonkers.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’d probably appreciate this more if you’re familiar with Disney’s or Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”

Defined Plot/Storyline: Mostly yes, but it was 2-3 concurrent stories.

Recommendation: See it if either

You enjoy quirky and playful shows
You like shows that frequently break the 4th wall
Maureen was your favorite character from Rent
You’re young or young at heart

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Probably not

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 8

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.75 hours

Intermission: No

Theatre Company: Dacha Theatre

Venue Physical Address:

UW’s Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater: 47.66044278872487, -122.3078706833984 GPS coordinates
Port Townsend’s Chetzemoka Park: 1000 Jackson St, Port Townsend, WA 98368

Price: Cheap to Medium

Ticket Affordability Options: Pay-what-you-will options as low as $5

Dates:

UW’s Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater: July 21 to August 6, 2023
Port Townsend’s Chetzemoka Park: August 11 to August 13, 2023

Seating: General Admission

Parking:

UW’s Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater: UW neighborhood street parking is horrible. Just give in and park in the UW N5 parking lot (47.66024585621801, -122.30889530684898 gps coordinates) for $6.50.
Port Townsend’s Chetzemoka Park: No idea. I’ve never been to Port Townsend!

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

https://www.dachatheatre.com/sometimestherain.html

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Brett Love.

@showsiveseen Julia Izumi's #play "Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea" by Dacha Theatre at the lawn/park behind @UW Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater. Later at Port Townsend's Chetzemoka Park. Directed by Kate Drummond. Playful ode to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Complete with a sentient cloud & a talking cow. Photos: Brett Love. Review: showsiveseen.com/6241 #littleMermaid #theLittleMermaid #HansChristianAndersen #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ SUMMERTIME – Madi Rindge

1776 – Musical – 5th Avenue Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): 1776 musical at the 5th Avenue Theatre starring Gisela Adisa. Directed by Jeffrey L Page & Diane Paulus. An inclusive female, trans, & nonbinary cast of diverse races & ethnicities portraying our cis white American forefathers as they commenced the “Great American Experiment” and signed the Declaration of Independence. Genteel, silky smooth Southern drawl accents like molasses spilling out of their mouths. Good debate scenes.

Synopsis from the Theatre: What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? American Repertory Theater at Harvard University/Roundabout Theatre Company’s new production of the Tony Award®-winning Best Musical, 1776, is a tuneful, witty, “bold and exuberant” (Variety) reexamination of a pivotal moment in American history from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress). 1776 comes to Seattle with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity. You may never think about our country—who we are and why—the same way again.

Reviewed Performance: 8/2/23 (Opening Night)

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: A couple

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’d probably understand this show more if you studied American history in school.

Defined Plot/Storyline: It was more debate and history than story/plot.

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it if you enjoyed either

The historical flashback scene in The Taming
The historical parts of Hamiliton
Musicals that are more play than music (there were only 13 songs)
Or shows that are less story, more debate, and more (dry?) history.

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Probably not but it was well-performed

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 22

Total Number of Actors: 22

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Favorite Line: John Dickinson of Pennsylvania (played by Joanna Glushak) said “Don’t forget that most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.” What a poignant commentary of today’s political climate!
Slideshow: Nice background video during “The Egg” song.

Rant(s)

Stage Curtain: Stage curtains that resemble shower curtains or actual window curtains don’t work well for a huge professional stage. It makes the top half of the stage look empty and the bottom half of the stage look cheap.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Intermission Placement: The intermission was inserted in a weird place. Usually it’s right after a cliffhanger or showstopper. I suggest the 1st act end a little earlier since it was a little too long anyway.
First Independant Colony: I didn’t know that the USA was the first colony in world history to successfully gain independence.

Theatre Company: The 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue: The 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Expensive

Ticket Affordability Options: $30 day-of-show rush tickets at the box office are available for in Zones 3, 4, and 5. Contact the theatre directly for organizational discount affiliation possibilities like from your job. Goldstar or TodayTix usually offer good options too.

Dates: August 2 to 6, 2023 – Sorry for the late review! I didn’t realize the show closed this weekend.

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: When I don’t walk to the theatre or park on the street, I park in the paid garage at the Motif hotel NW of the theatre. The entrance is on 5th Ave. Do NOT park in the Hilton garage (entrance on 6th ave). That’s where most of the audience parks, so it’s a nightmare to leave. However, the Hilton garage is the closest garage to the theatre and you can access the theatre underground if you want to avoid the elements. But this benefit is not worth the time wasted leaving in my opinion.

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Joan Marcus.

@showsiveseen #1776 #musical at @The 5th Avenue Theatre starring @giselaadisa. #Inclusive #female, #trans, & #nonbinary cast of #diverse races & ethnicities portraying cis white forefathers as they commenced the “Great #American Experiment” & signed the Declaration of Independence. Genteel, silky smooth Southern drawl accents like molasses. Good debate scenes. Photos: Joan Marcus. Review: showsiveseen.com/6204 #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ He Plays the Violin (From “1776”) – Betty Buckley

(From L) Liz Mikel as Benjamin Franklin, Nancy Anderson as Thomas Jefferson and Gisela Adisa as John Adams in the National Tour of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

“Sit Down, John” – The National Tour Cast of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

“Cool, Cool Considerate Men” – (Center) Joanna Glushak as John Dickinson and the National Tour Cast of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

The National Tour Cast of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

“Momma, Look Sharp” – (Left) Tiffani Barbour as Andrew McNair and (center) Brooke Simpson as The Courier and the National Tour Cast of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

“The Egg” – (From L) Gisela Adisa as John Adams, Nancy Anderson as Thomas Jefferson and Liz Mikel as Benjamin Franklin in the National Tour of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

Liz Mikel as Benjamin Franklin in the National Tour of *1776*. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

Contest Winner – Six the Musical – Paramount Theatre

Congrats Rylie for winning a ticket from Shows I’ve Seen to the Broadway at the Paramount’s and Seattle Theatre Group’s Six the Musical!

Free Ticket – Six the Musical – Paramount Theatre

Update (7/20/23): Congrats to Rylie!

Leave a comment mentioning your favorite female monarch and why. She doesn’t need to be a British #queen. I’ll chose a winner after 7/19 11:59 PM.

Post your comment submission on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads. This is a free SINGLE ticket in “price level F” (worth about $60) to any remaining “Six” performance at Broadway at the Paramount Theatre and Seattle Theatre Group. The production run ends 7/23. Read my review at showsiveseen.com/6075. #theatre #six #showsiveseen #musical