Stage

Openings & Events

Broadcast Burlesque Relive radio drama of yore with Lesbian: PI and Bolt Action, Moon Mayor! Rendezvous Theater at the Jewelbox, 2322 Second Ave., scarlettohairdye.com. $12–$25. 8 p.m. Sat., Nov. 8.

Fangs The premiere of Jim Moran’s dark comedy about an anti-abortion senator. Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave., eclectictheatercompany.org. $20–$25. Previews Nov. 7–9, opens Nov. 13. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 6.

Fiddler on the Roof Seattle Musical Theatre at Magnuson Park, 7120 62nd Ave. N.E., Building 47, 800-838-3006, seattlemusicaltheatre.org. $20–$35. Opens Nov. 7. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Nov. 23.

The Fierce Urgency of Now Arouet premieres 
Doug DeVita’s play about the advertising world. Stone Soup Downstage Theatre, 4029 Stone Way N., 800-838-3006, arouet.us. $12–$40. Opens Nov. 7. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., plus 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9 and 7:30 p.m. Mon., Nov. 17. Ends Nov. 22.

Open Carry Wild animals stand in metaphorically for firearms in Scot Augustson’s new play for Seattle Public Theater’s Youth Program. Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake, 7312 West Green Lake Dr. N., seattlepublictheater.org. Donation. 2 p.m. Sat., Nov. 8, 4 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9.

Questionable Content A topical panel quiz show. Theater Schmeater, 2125 Third Ave., schmeater.org. Pay what you will. 11 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7–Sat., Nov. 8.

Saturday Morning Cartoons Fond recollections of our pajamas-and-cereal youth inspired these new plays. Pocket Theater, 8312 Greenwood Ave. N., the1448projects.org. $5–$14. Opens Nov. 8. 10:30 a.m. Sat. Ends Nov. 22.

Seattle International Comedy Competition 34 aspiring stand-ups go into a comedy club; one comes out. Various area venues, Nov. 5–30; see seattle
comedycompetition.org for full info.

tick, tick . . . BOOM! Jonathan Larson’s semi-memoirish precursor to Rent tells of a young composer of musicals. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777. secondstoryrep.org. Opens Nov. 7. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Nov. 22.

Visit to a Small Planet The Endangered Species Project reads Gore Vidal’s satire of ’50s America. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., endangeredspeciesproject.org. $10–$15. 7 p.m. Mon., Nov. 10.

Wonderland The Can Can’s fantastical winter cabaret. The Can Can, 94 Pike St. $40–$100. Preview Nov. 6, opens Nov. 7. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see thecancan.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 28.

CURRENT RUNS

Afterlife An improv look at The Big Question. Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, unexpectedproductions.org. $12–$15. 8:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends Nov. 22.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Judith Viorst herself wrote the book and lyrics for this musical adaptation of her popular kids’ book. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $10. 1 & 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends Nov. 23.

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Blood Countess SEE REVIEW, PAGE 23.

Clues Jet City’s board-game-based improv murder mystery. Jet City Improv, 5510 University Way N.E., 352-8291, jet
cityimprov.org. $12–$15. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri. Ends Nov. 21.

Disaster Movie An improv take on one of Hollywood’s most spoofable genres. Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, unexpected
productions.org. $7. 8:30 p.m. Sun. Ends Nov. 23.

Dogfight The title of this musical—based on the affecting 1991 movie—refers to a hideous sort of male-bonding competition among a group of Vietnam-bound Marines the night before they ship out of San Francisco in 1963: Whoever brings the ugliest woman to a party wins. But Eddie (Kody Bringman) ends up falling for Rose (Devon Busswood), the shy aspiring singer/songwriter he’d intended to humiliate, and they spend an increasingly tender night together. The show sounds promising enough, but it’s doomed by the misogynist party scene, which is played for laughs, broad ones at the women’s expense, and it got them. I’m not sure whether this approach was the intention of the book writer, Peter Duchan, or the brilliant idea of director Mathew Wright. In either case, I’ve never seen a more staggeringly misguided, profoundly offensive misreading of artistic intent. The party scene is a specific problem; Dogfight’s overall problem is that it evokes next to nothing of the film’s peculiar bleak bittersweetness. Eddie, Rose, and Vietnam all deserve a deeper treatment than what is basically a Very Special Episode of Glee. GAVIN BORCHERT ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. S.W., 938-0339, artswest.org. $5–$37. 
7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. Ends Nov. 22.

Endgame/NDGM Beckett’s theater-of-the-absurd classic is paired with Blood Ensemble’s reimagining of Beckett’s themes. Ballard Underground, 2220 N.W. Market St., ghostlighttheatricals.org. $18–$20. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. plus Thurs., Nov. 13 & 20; also 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9. Ends Nov. 22.

Fast Company “Meet the Kwans: a Chinese-American family of expert con artists” in Carla Ching’s comic crime caper. Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave. S., 800-838-3006, porkfilled.com. $12–$18. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., plus 8 p.m. Mon., Nov. 10 and 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 16. Ends Nov. 22.

5 By Beckett

Act Without Words I and II, Rough for Theatre I and II, and Catastrophe, presented by Sound Theatre Company as part of the Seattle Beckett Festival. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. $15–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Nov. 9.

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The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi Friendship and cooperation are the messages in this adaptation of a classic Kipling tale. Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Center, 441-3322. $15–$36. Runs Thurs.–Sun.; see sct.org for exact schedule. Ends Nov. 9.

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Hamlet The prodigiously pliable Mary Ewald stars as young Hamlet, shedding decades off her impressive odometer with astutely formulated adolescent smoldering. Under the unambiguous direction of John Kazanjian, the play’s twists and shadows have never been more comprehensible to me. There are also many gems among the supporting performances. A svelte Peter Crook scrumptiously deadpans Polonius’ insouciant hot air. Tim Gouran’s Laertes self-detonates as only Gouran can. And the various lesser characters played by Brandon Simmons and Scott Ward Abernethy manifest more secret personality than many a principal character in other productions. Quibbles? Kristen Kosmas seems too mature for Ophelia, Todd Jefferson Moore’s wide-eyed, doddering Claudius too broad. Kazanjian stages the famous bedroom scene between Hamlet and Queen Gertrude (Elizabeth Kenny) with zero Oedipal tension, and the fight choreography is a bit tentative. Still, I found myself riveted by this tiny yet immersive production, where Nina Moser’s set evokes a compact, creepy Elsinore with candlelight and brick. MARGARET FRIEDMAN New City Theater, 1406 18th Ave., brownpaper
tickets.com. $15–$20. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Nov. 15.

Horse Girls Did you go through a horse phase growing up? The ladies in Jenny Rachel Weiner’s play did. Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., annextheatre.org. $5–$10. 
8 p.m. Tues.–Wed. Ends Nov. 19.

I Never Betrayed the Revolution Christopher Danowski’s play sends up Soviet history. West of Lenin (get it?), 203 N. 36th St., 800-838-3006, westoflenin.com. $15–$20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., plus 8 p.m. Mon., Nov. 10. Ends Nov. 23.

Lear Shakespeare’s family saga rethought for Seattle Public Theater’s Youth Program. Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake, 7312 West Green Lake Dr. N., seattlepublic
theater.org. Donation. 7 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7–Sat., Nov. 8.

Or, the Whale A call-center employee shares Moby-Dick over the phone in this extrapolation of Melville. Stage One Theater, North Seattle College, 9600 College Way N., ponyworld.org. $16. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Nov. 15.

Split Second Improv Second Story’s improv competition. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $20. Two shows each Sat.: 7 p.m. for families, 8 p.m. could get naughtier. Ends Dec. 13.

Supraliminal Seattle Immersive Theatre’s interactive tale about the paranormal, both set in and staged at the Georgetown Steam Plant. Meet at South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. S.W., and you’ll be bused there. seattle
immersivetheatre.org. $50. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. EXTENDED through Nov. 15.

Teatro ZinZanni: Hacienda Holiday TZZ’s new show keeps its dinner-cabaret formula fresh with acts that mash up entertainment skills in pairs: aerial plus dance en pointe by PNB alumna Ariana Lallone; trapeze plus contortion with Duo Rose; juggling plus the speed and aesthetic of thrash metal by Gamal David Garcia; and ballroom dance plus pole work by the astounding Vertical Tango. All this is organized by just the lightest spritz of storyline: Vivian Beaumount and Clifton Caswell (Christine Deaver and Kevin Kent) return to a swanky hotel to renew their vows. By the end, the gender-melding is complete—Beaumount and Caswell reconcile, each adopting at least two sexes, maybe more. It’s a romantic finale as spicy as the Southwest-inspired menu. GAVIN BORCHERT Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015. $99 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun. plus some Wed.; see zinzanni.com/seattle for exact schedule. Ends Jan. 31.

Three Sisters To accompany Christopher Durang’s comic take on Chekhov at ACT, here’s the original. Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center, 800-838-3006, cornish.edu. $5–$17. 8 p.m. Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat. Ends Nov. 8.

The Tiger Lillies Music and black humor combine to make “anarchic Brechtian street opera.” Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015, zinzanni.com/seattle. $32–$42. 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 5.

Twelfth Night SEE REVIEW, PAGE 23.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Vanya (R. Hamilton Wright) and Sonia (Marianne Owen) are unmarried 50-something siblings who cared for their dying parents and still live in their childhood home. Their sister Masha (Pamela Reed), an aging starlet, funds their bleak lives (someone has to); then she arrives for a visit, towing her boy-toy Spike (the excessively bare-chested William Poole) with the intent of selling the house, a misfortune foretold by Cassandra the housekeeper (the gregarious Cynthia Jones). The specter of Chekhov hangs over Christopher Durang’s Tony-winning comedy, though you sometimes feel you’re watching a clever yet contrived sitcom. Neighbors visit, siblings bicker, compliments are undone by criticism, schemes are uncovered, and parties end in disaster. Durang further adds amusing references to Pirandello, Greek tragedy, and even Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. His characters can seem flat, though his themes are resoundingly heartfelt. Director Kurt Beattie mixes the absurdist levity with a whirlwind of bittersweet emotions; the effect is often frustrating but also satisfying. IRFAN SHARIFF ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676. $55 and up. Runs Tues.–Sun; see acttheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends Nov. 16.

Dance

The Three Yells

Moon Falling

is Veronica Lee-Baik’s Ulysses-(among other things)-based new work. Velocity Dance Center, 1621 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, velocity
dancecenter.org. $20. 8 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7–Sat., Nov. 8, 
7:30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9.

Pacific Northwest Ballet: Director’s Choice SEE THE PICKLIST, PAGE 22.

Didik Nini Thowok This Javanese master of traditional cross-gender dance performs. Brechemin Auditorium, School of Music, UW campus, 685-8384. Free. 7:30 p.m. Mon., Nov. 10.

Classical, Etc.

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NOW Ensemble Music by Judd Greenstein and Derek Bermel Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., townhall
seattle.org. $5–$25. 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 5.

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Inverted Space UW’s new-music ensemble plays Steve Reich, Alvin Lucier, and more. Jones Playhouse, 4045 University Way N.E., 543-4880, music.washington.edu. $10–$15. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 6.

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Seattle Symphony SEE EAR SUPPLY, BELOW.

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Seattle Composers Salon A new-music open-mike night, curated by John Teske, with music by Jacob Zimmerman, Nat Evans, Keith Eisenbrey, and S. Eric Scribner. Chapel Performance Space, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., composersalon.com. $5–$15. 8 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7.

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Club Shostakovich In November 1964, the composer’s ninth and 10th string quartets were premiered; tonight’s performance marks their 50th anniversary (with the eighth also on the bill, just to make it more festive). The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., triopardalote.com. Donation. 8 p.m. Fri. Nov. 7.

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Pacific MusicWorks Monteverdi madrigals in “Songs of Love and War.” Benaroya Recital Hall, Third Ave. and Union St., 708-6003, pacificmusicworks.org. $10–$40. 8 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7.

Bainbridge Symphony Stirring Russian crowd-pleasers by Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, and Kalinnikov. Bainbrdge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave. N., 842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org. $16–$19. 7:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 8, 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9.

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Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers Beethoven’s Ninth, plus Joseph Schwantner’s MLK-based New Morning for the World. First Free Methodist Church, 3200 Third Ave. W., 800-838-3006, osscs.org. $10–$25. 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9.

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Music of Remembrance Spectrum Dance Theater premieres new dances set to Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht. Benaroya Hall, Third Ave. and Union St., 365-7770, musicofremembrance.org. $30–$40. 4 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9.

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North Corner Chamber Orchestra Seattle’s newest group plays Britten, Handel, and more to preview (and fundraise for) their official Nov. 23–24 debut. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., 616-606-3246, nocco.org. $75–$150 (includes dinner). 7 p.m. Sun., Nov. 9.

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Fidelio Trio SEE THE PICKLIST, PAGE 22.