Stage
Openings & Events
Chaos Theory In Courtney Meaker’s new play, her heartbroken heroine builds a kind of alternate-reality machine; using it, unsurprisingly, has unexpected consequences. Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., 728-0933, annextheatre.org. $5–$20. Opens April 18. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus Mon., April 28. Ends May 17.
Ernest Shackleton Loves Me SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 24.
Family Affair Jennifer Jasper’s “sick, hilarious, and ultimately relatable” monthly cabaret on the theme of family. JewelBox/Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., jenniferjasperperforms.com. $10. 7:30 p.m. Wed., April 16.
Fuente Ovejuna Lope de Vega’s play of tyranny and rebellion. Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center, 269-1901, cornish.edu. Free. Opens April 17. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 26.
Godspell Stephen Schwartz’s musical take on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Raisbeck Performance Hall, 2015 Boren Ave., 800-838-3006, cornish.edu. $5–$10. 8 p.m. Tues., April 22, Thurs., April 24, Sat., April 26; 2 p.m. Sun., April 27.
King Lear Ungrateful daughters, divided affections, the fool whispering in your ear, the windswept heath—what could possibly go wrong? Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center, 733-8222. $25–$48. Previews April 23–24, opens April 25. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see seattleshakespeare.org for exact schedule. Ends May 17.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare’s romantic fantasy, al fresco. Seattle Center, cornish.edu. Free. Opens April 18. 2 p.m. Fri.–Sun. Ends April 27.
Quickies, vol. 15 Live Girls! Theater presents short plays on the themes of science and magic. Theater Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave. S., 800-838-3006, lgtheater.org. $5–$20. Opens April 18. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus Mon., May 5. Ends May 10.
Snow White Stepparent issues and seven brothers (played by three actors). $10. Opens April 19. Runs weekends in various venues; see storybooktheater.org for exact schedule. Ends May 18.
Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland Watch out for the rabbit hole! From the people (Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann) who bring you the Burlesque Nutcracker. Early shows 17 and over, late shows 21 and over. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. $32–$47. 7 & 10 p.m. Wed., April 16–Thurs., April 17; 7 & 10:30 p.m. Fri., April 18–Sat., April 19.
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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 23.
The Women, the Flesh, and the Devil “A Burlesque Evening in Black and White” draws inspiration from silent film. Columbia City Theatre, 4916 Rainier Ave. S., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $15–$100. 7:30 p.m. 10 p.m. Fri., April 18.
Current runs
Attempts on Her Life The Horse in Motion presents this immersive audience-participation play. University Heights Community Center, 5031 University Way N.E., 800-838-3006, thehorseinmotion.org. $15–$25. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sun. Ends April 27.
Bethany Some works of art are forever tied to times of economic hardship, like The Grapes of Wrath and the Great Depression. And while a raft of nonfiction accounts have been written and filmed about the 2008 bubble and following recession (The Big Short, Inside Job, etc.), a play takes longer to percolate. Laura Marks’ dark comedy premiered in New York last year to good reviews, with Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera in the lead role of Crystal, a saleswoman who’s rapidly lost her job, home, and daughter Bethany (the latter to foster care). Now Emily Chisholm assumes the same position as a heroine so bottomed-out that she sneaks into an abandoned (supposedly) and foreclosed home to live as a squatter. She hopes to get a new job selling cars and thereby to win her kid back. Things take a turn, however, when she discovers a fellow recession refugee under the same roof—the possibly schizophrenic Gary (Darragh Kennan). He’s sometimes her ally, sometimes a menace as Crystal tries to claw herself back onto the economic ladder. That process makes her a meaner, more conniving, and possibly even dangerous woman—and those are the qualities required in our cutthroat new economy. John Langs directs. BRIAN MILLER. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St. 292-7676. Runs Tues.–Sun.; see acttheatre.org for exact schedule. $55 and up. Ends May 4.
Checkoff in the Sun A dying woman’s friends gather one last time in Leonard D. Goodisman’s comedy. Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $12–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 19.
Dina Martina: Her Greatest Videos… and More! A night of highlights from the grande dame’s shows, hosted by herself. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $20–$25. 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 27.
Final Fantasy: The Improvised Adventures Improv meets (and spoofs) video games. Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 800-838-3006, unexpectedproductions.org. $12–$15. 8:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends April 26.
Gidion’s Knot Censorship erupts in school in Johnna Adams’ new drama. Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse, 7312 W. Green Lake Ave. N., 524-1300. $15–$32. See seattlepublictheater.org for schedule. Ends April 20.
Impenetrable SIS Productions presents Mia McCullough’s play about women, society, and body image. West of Lenin, 203 N. 36th St., 800-838-3006. $12–$16. Runs Thurs.–Sat. plus 8 p.m. Mon., April 28; see brownpapertickets.com for exact schedule. Ends May 3.
In the Book Of SEE REVIEW, PAGE 25.
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Little Shop of Horrors Created in 1982 by composer Alan Menken and his lyricist partner, the late Howard Ashman, Little Shop is simple, it’s overstuffed with hummable melodies, and it toys affectionately with two of America’s enduring infatuations: cheesy monster movies and jukebox pop. Appropriately, this co-production of ACT and the 5th Avenue cranks the fun dial up to 11 with a string of spectacular performances. These include the Spectoresque Greek chorus of Ronnette, Chiffon, and Crystal (Nicole Rashida Prothro, Alexandria Henderson, and Naomi Morgan, respectively); floral-shop owner Mr. Mushnik (Jeff Steitzer, long my favorite Scrooge in ACT’s A Christmas Carol); and his star-crossed lovebird employees, Audrey and Seymour (Jessica Skerritt and Joshua Carter). It’s easy to see why Ashman and Menken’s work has stood the test of time: They make story and song interdependent. Every song in Little Shop—the tale of a man-eating plant come to conquer Earth by devouring every last man, woman, and child—either advances character or plot. Often they do both. Here, director Bill Berry lets all his cast members cut loose, and none shrink from the opportunity. During both solo and ensemble tunes (arranged and conducted by R.J. Tancioco), there’s a palpable glee in watching confident performers nail each number with sharpshooter precision. KEVIN PHINNEY ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676. $20–$50. See acttheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends June 15.
The Mark of Immediacy The Gospel of Mark made theater by a cast of three. Isaac Studio Theatre, 208 N. 85th St., 781-9707, taproottheatre.org. $12–$15. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends April 19.
The Negro Passion Play Brownbox Theatre presents “a dramatic depiction of the Passion of Jesus Christ within the context of the American civil rights movement” in SU’s Campion Ballroom. Seattle University, 901 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $5–$15. 7:30 p.m. Tues. & Thurs. Ends April 17.
Office Hours Norm Foster’s comedy about a busy Friday afternoon. Renton Civic Theater, 507 S. Third St., Renton, 425-226-5529, rentoncivictheater.org. $17–$22. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 26.
Peter Pan Lyric Opera Northwest presents this very kid-friendly musical. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-893-9900, kpcenter.org. $24–$34. 7:30 p.m. Fri., April 18 & 25, Sat., April 26; 2 p.m. Sat., April 19.
A Room With a View: They’ve made stage musicals out of The Lion King, Hairspray, even Carrie. There doesn’t have to be any singing in the original Hollywood product, just an uplifting-enough story—and preferably romance—that lends itself to a cheerful chorus in the final big production number. Though it’s hard to imagine how prim and proper (and gay) E.M. Forster (1879–1970) would feel about his 1908 novel becoming Broadway fodder. The Merchant-Ivory movie of 1985 is the more direct inspiration for writer Marc Acito and composer Jeffrey Stock, both Broadway veterans. (The 5th is also nakedly targeting the Downton Abbey demo with its marketing.) As you’ll recall, virginal heroine Lucy (Laura Griffith) is traveling through Italy with her chaperone (Patti Cohenour); there she’s courted by the romantic George (Louis Hobson), which threatens a potential match back in England with uptight Cecil (Will Reynolds). Which man will she choose?!? Well, you’ve seen the movie, so you know. This Room debuted in San Diego two years ago, when Variety praised the book and score but found the production lacking. Now the 5th’s David Armstrong, directing a local cast, hopes to improve upon it. T. BOND. 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle, 625-1900, 5thavenue.org, $29 and up, Through May 11.
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Seattle Vice When a new cabaret show is directly inspired by a book by our own Rick Anderson, you can be damn sure we’re going to claim all the credit. Seattle Vice follows Frank Colacurcio (1917–2010), he of the famous “Strippergate” scandal, and other scoundrels, lowlifes, criminals, and eccentrics. In a real sense, Anderson remembers the good old bad old days, when cops, crooks, and reporters all tolerated a certain degree of mutual corruption. Someone who does not remember that era is Mark Siano, one of the stars—and co-creator, with Opal Peachey—of this new musical revue, set mainly in 1965. “The book was definitely an eye-opener,” says Siano. “Before then, I was mostly interested in the music and style of that era, when the Vegas lounge singers became pop singers.” Appropriately, Siano plays Gil Conte in the show, a lounge singer who became Colacurcio’s bag man for bribes and proceeds from the smut trade. Yes there was prostitution behind the scenes, but nightclubs were also social spaces filled with music, dancing, booze, and cigarette smoke. The notion of adult entertainment meant something quite different back then, says Siano. Today, with a bar in ACT’s Bullitt Cabaret and audience dancing encouraged, Siano says, “We wanted to create a space that feels like one of those old clubs.” New yet retro-sounding songs are interspersed with the rise and fall of Colacurcio’s T&A empire—“It’s probably half fiction, half real,” says Siano. This stage version of Seattle Vice is all about melody and comedy; it’s not meant to be serious history. BRIAN MILLER ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. $20. 8:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 19.
Tails of Wasps SEE REVIEW, PAGE 25.
Teatro ZinZanni: On the Air Their new radio-themed show features the return of emcee Kevin Kent. Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015. $99 and up. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see zinzanni.com/seattle for exact schedule. Ends June 1.
The Tutor Maryrose Wood’s musical has its strengths, but clarity of intent is not one. Her story—of an aspiring writer, Edmund (Eric Ankrim), hired by Manhattanites Richard and Esther (Hugh Hastings, Beth DeVries) to help their rebelliously apathetic daughter Sweetie (Tatum Ludlam, double-cast with Katie Griffith) get into Princeton—presents a setup for a satire, of literary pretensions or upper-class neuroses or both, but Wood throws marshmallows rather than darts at her targets. The Tutor’s cleverest conceit is that the characters in Edmund’s novel-in-progress come to life to advise him. Played adroitly by Matthew Kacergis and Kristen deLohr Helland, they shape-shift from role to role as Edmund tries to commit to a literary milieu. All the costume and accent changes force Andrew Gerle into writing a lot of pastiche, though he’s a deft setter of Wood’s lyrics, especially when she offers the juicy challenge of dialogue or differing points of view within a song. His best number is a solo for Esther, “That’s How a Life Is Made,” a poignant paths-not-taken lament with a graceful melodic irregularity that sounds just like introspection made music. GAVIN BORCHERT Village Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, 425-392-2202. Runs Wed.–Sun. plus some Tues.; see villagetheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends April 27; then runs May 2–25 in Everett.
Dance
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Pacific Northwest Ballet: A Midsummer Night’s Dream SEE REVIEW, PAGE 25.
Classical, Etc.
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Claire Chase Varese, Glass, Reich, and more from this avant-flutist. Cornish College/PONCHO Concert Hall, 710 E. Roy St., cornish.edu, 726-5066. $10–$20. 8 p.m. Thurs., April 17.
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Seattle Symphony James MacMillan’s The Death of Oscar, plus Beethoven (the Concerto no. 3 with acclaimed Beethoven pianist Paul Lewis) and Rachmaninoff. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., 215-4747, seattlesymphony.org. $19–$127. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 17, noon Fri., April 18, 8 p.m. Sat., April 19.
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Music of Remembrance Chamber music by Jake Heggie, Lori Laitman, and others. Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., musicofremembrance.org. Free. 2 p.m. Sat., April 19.
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Joshua Roman On this cellist’s imaginative “Town Music” series, he’s joined by pianist Andrius Zlabys for music by Schnittke, Stravinsky, and others. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $10–$25. 7:30 p.m. Tues., April 22.
