Stage Openings & Events Alice in Wonderland Andre Gregory’s avant-garde take on

By By Gavin Borchert • March 31, 2015 1:26 pm
Faith Russell, Corey Spruill, and Jeff Berryman in Taproot Theatre’s Best of Enemies. See review on page 18.
Faith Russell, Corey Spruill, and Jeff Berryman in Taproot Theatre’s Best of Enemies. See review on page 18.

Stage

Openings & Events

Alice in Wonderland Andre Gregory’s avant-garde take on Lewis Carroll, from 1970. Stone Soup Theater, 4029 Stone Way N., 633-1883, stonesouptheatre.org. $15–$25. Previews April 8–9, opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends May 3.

Che/The Gate Leonard D. Goodisman’s pair of one-acts. Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave. $12–$25. Preview April 9, opens April 10. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends May 9.

Family Affair Jennifer Jasper’s “hilarious, twisted, and ultimately relatable” cabaret on the theme of family. JewelBox Theater at the Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., jenniferjasperperforms.com. $10. 7:30 p.m. Wed., April 15.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Sondheim’s Greek-inspired farce. Seattle Musical Theatre at Magnuson Park, 7120 62nd Ave. N.E., Building 47, 800-838-3006, seattlemusicaltheatre.org. $20–$35. Opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., plus 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 23. Ends April 26.

Grand Hotel The opulent ’20s-set musical. Cornish Playhouse, Seattle Center, 800-838-3006, cornish.edu. $5–$17. 8 p.m. Wed., April 8–Fri., April 10, 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., April 11.

Into the Woods Sondheim’s dark fairy-tale mashup, presented by STAGEright Theatre. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., seattlestageright.org. $17.50–$22. Opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sat., & Mon., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 25.

Sex’d Handwritten Productions updates/techs up Schnitzler’s 1897 La ronde. Lab at INScape, 815 Seattle Blvd. S., handwrittenproductions.org. Pay what you will. Opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 25.

Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll’s adventurous stories for his young Victorian friend are almost too perfect a fit for burlesque artist Lily Verlaine. From the Queen of Hearts to Alice herself, they barely need any translation to serve as a framework for her saucy choreography. SANDRA KURTZ The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. $35–$50. 7 & 10 p.m. Wed., April 8–Thurs., April 9; 7 & 10:30 p.m. Fri., April 10–Sat., April 11.

CURRENT RUNS

Arcadia Tom Stoppard takes us from the present to 1809 and back at the Coverly estate. Renton Civic Theatre, 507 S. Third St., Renton, 425-226-5529, rentoncivictheatre.org. $17–$22. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 18.

Beau Jest The Seattle Jewish Theater Company presents James Sherman’s comedy about a woman’s invented, then impersonated, boyfriend. Various dates and venues through April 26; see seattlejewishtheater.com for full info.

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The Best of Enemies SEE REVIEW, PAGE 18.

Claim of Thrones Add you own flourishes to every geek’s favorite TV saga. Jet City Improv, Jet City Improv, 5510 University Way N.E., jetcityimprov.org. $12–$15. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri. Ends May 22.

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Dina Martina—Tonight! All-new songs, stories, and videos from the incomparable, indescribable entertaineress, with Chris Jeffries on keyboard. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $20–$25. 8 p.m. Fri–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 26.

Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat The bringer of havoc is back. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $5–$10. 1 & 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends April 19.

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Fail Better: Beckett Moves UMO Themes of Samuel Beckett’s work are explored through UMO’s unique style of physical theater. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, umo.org. $30. 8 p.m. Wed.–Sat., 
2 p.m. Sun., plus other matinees; see acttheatre.org 
for exact schedule. Ends April 26.

Goodnight Moon Based on the bedtime book by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, this musical debuted here in 2007. Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Center, 441-3322. $20 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun.; see sct.org for exact schedule. Ends April 26.

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well & Living in Paris The 1968 off-­Broadway revue made the Belgian crooner Jacques Brel briefly famous in the U.S. But most Americans didn’t get it—we were all swooning over the Beatles’ playful transgressions and Sinatra’s new masculinity. Back home, his songs were a touchstone for postwar Europe, their fragililty and terror, beauty and hopefulness a reflection of the world around him. It’s not a bad fit in our current world, either, and this production, directed by the 5th Avenue Theatre’s artistic director David Armstrong, tries hard to make that point. A rousing performance of “The Middle Class” is set in the streets of downtown Seattle, with the ensemble’s three men, drunk, sneering a translation of Brel’s lyrics, “The middle class are just like pigs/The older they get, the dumber they get.” Brel’s condemnation of matador culture, “The Bulls,” is here cloaked in the trappings of American football. Not every tune works, but Brel’s genius carries the night. His musical punch lines are crisp, his desperation real, his anger frightening. And the cast does a fine job of bringing these songs to life. Eric Ankrim, in particular, is a joy to watch, his pronounced physicality and devilish demeanor imbuing the material with the uncanniness it requires. The star of the production, though, is Kendra Kassebaum, whose aching renditions of some of Brel’s most heart-wrenching balladry are undeniable. MARK BAUMGARTEN ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. $15–$49. 7:30 p.m. Tues.–Wed., 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., 2 & 7 p.m. Sun. Ends May 17.

Live! From the Last Night of My Life In Wayne Rawley’s black comedy, a gas-station attendant vows to off himself at the end of his shift. 12th Ave Arts, 1620 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, theatre22.org. $14–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus 2 p.m. Sun., April 12 & 8 p.m. Tues., April 14. Ends April 18.

Lizard Boy SEE REVIEW, PAGE 18.

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Moisture Festival The 12th annual variete overload: comedy, circus, and burlesque acts of all descriptions. Runs Wed.–Sun. through April 12 at Hale’s Palladium, 4301 Leary Way N.W., with a special event at Teatro ZinZanni April 8. See moisturefestival.org for full schedule and info.

The Most Deserving Catherine Trieschmann’s comedy examines the snakepit that is civic arts-council grant-giving. Theater Schmeater, 2125 Third Ave., 324-5801, schmeater.org. $22–$29. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 18.

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NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 17.

SecondStory Originals Three local writers, three plays, three weekends. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $15. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 18.

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Slowgirl As Monica Lewinsky and Amanda Knox have incidents in their youth that will shadow their lives forever, so too does Becky, the flashier half of Greg Pierce’s poignant two-hander about a mouthy 17-year-old who visits her uncle in Costa Rica after a recent tragedy. A tragedy in her past, Becky (Hannah Mootz) is wrestling with her conscience. Her apparently benign, geeky Uncle Sterling (Kevin McKeon) has some secrets of his own. Everything about this small jewel of a production—directed by Kelly Kitchens—feels right, from terrific acting to the vine-covered jungle set (by Andrea Bush) to Pierce’s strong, naturalistic 2012 script. Slowgirl’s compassionate portrait of people who, regardless of their courtroom guilt or innocence, made some terrible decisions, feels very much of our moment. Most of us have had a “slowgirl” in our past—someone whom, however momentarily, we did not treat kindly. Slowgirl dwells in the an ambiguous zone of dispassionate moral scrutiny, a place where one’s past sins can be addressed and forgiven. MARGARET FRIEDMAN Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse, 7312 W. Greenlake Dr. N., 524-1300, seattlepublictheater.org. $5–$32. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 12.

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Tartuffe In Moliere’s 17th-century comedy, a mendicant holy man (R. Hamilton Wright) entraps wealthy Orgon (Peter Lohnes) and his family. Seattle Shakespeare Company has transported this classic to post-World War II America, a time when the world was rebuilding and searching for new guidance. (Any period resemblance to Scientology and The Master is entirely intended, says director Makaela Pollock.) Moliere’s neat comedic structure reflects the growing certainties of the Age of Enlightenment: A deviant tries to upset the status quo; his ambitions are thwarted (not without some resistance); and all’s well that ends well. Despite the updated mid-century backdrop, not much is added to the play except dapper suits and pretty dresses. Nobility and reason are always rewarded, and swindlers never win. Pollock’s players perform their roles to stock-character, one-dimensional perfection. Wright makes Tartuffe an amusingly sleazy, slapsticky villain. Also worth praise are the side-splittingly comic performances by Bhama Roget as the harlequin maid and Maya Sugarman as Orgon’s overly dramatic daughter. IRFAN SHARIFF Center House Theatre (Seattle Center), 733-­8222. $25–$48. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sat. plus weekend matinees; see seattleshakespeare.org for schedule. Ends April 12.

Teatro ZinZanni: The Hot Spot Frank Ferrante and Dreya Weber return for TZ’s new show, in which “love and magic in the digital age collide.” Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015. $99 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun. plus some Wed.; see zinzanni.com/seattle for exact schedule. Ends June 7.

Dance

Delfos Danza Contemporanea Mexico’s premier contemporary dance company integrates dance, video, computer animation and music. Meany Studio Theatre, UW campus, 543-4880, uwworldseries.org. $30. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 9–Sat., April 11. Company members will participate in a free public roundtable discussion with Seattle’s Pat Graney at Velocity Founders Theater, 1621 12th Ave., at noon Wed., April 8.

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Pacific Northwest Ballet: Swan Lake 
SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 16.

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Coriolis Dance SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 17.

Louis Gervais His solo piece shapeshifter incorporates gender bending, commedia dell’arte mask work, and improvisation. Velocity Dance Center, 1621 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, velocitydancecenter.org. $15–$50. 
8 p.m. Fri., April 10–Sun., April 12.

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Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host SEE PREVIEW, PAGE 16.

Carmona Flamenco Traditional music and dance. Cafe Solstice, 4116 University Way N.E., 932-­4067, carmona2@comcast.net. $15–$20. 8 & 9:30 p.m. Sat., April 11.

Classical, Etc.

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Music of Today Music by British composer Jonty Harrison, co-presented by DXARTS and the UW School of Music. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, music.washington.edu. $12–$20. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 9.

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Seattle Baroque Orchestra SEE EAR SUPPLY, BELOW.

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Seattle Modern Orchestra SEE EAR SUPPLY, BELOW.

Norwegian Male Chorus Singing Norwegian music, I guess—though one should never assume. Kent Lutheran Church, 336 Second Ave. S., Kent. $5. 
3 p.m. Sun., April 12.

Mostly Nordic Music + smorgasbord: Soprano Lena Moen and pianist Lena Johnson play Swedish music; clarinetst Sean Osborn joins them for a little Schubert. Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 N.W. 67th St., 789-5707, nordicmuseum.org. $47–$55 (concert only $22–$27). 
4 p.m. Sun., April 12.