Theater

Openings & Events

Bill’s Bash Seattle Shakespeare Company’s annual fundraiser celebrates the Bard’s 450th. Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center, 733-8228 x268, billsbash.org. $100–$200. 5:30 p.m. Mon., May 5.

The Edge Bainbridge Island’s own improv troupe. Bainbridge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, 842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org. $12–$16. 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 3.

I Saw U Unexpected Productions’ new show is inspired by personals: What happens when a “missed connection” connects? Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 800-838-3006, unexpectedproductions.org. $12–$15. Opens May 2. 8:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends June 21.

The Kitty Cat Club New naughtiness from The Heavenly Spies. Can Can, 94 Pike St., thecancan.com. $35–$75. Opens May 2. 9:30 p.m. Fri. Ends June 27.

Lollyville In Bret Fetzer and Juliet Waller Pruzan’s new show, a ghost bent on revenge “returns to the site of his fatal heartbreak: an isolated village inhabited entirely by women. A melancholy schoolteacher, an aloof psychiatrist, and a factory worker with a secret have their lives twisted.” Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., machamonkey.org. $18–$20. Opens May 2. 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends May 24.

The Lost Boys Ian Bell’s Brown Derby Series—stage send-ups of cult films—takes on this teen vampire classic. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., rebarseattle.com. $20. 8 p.m. Thurs., May 1–Sat., May 3.

Maggie’s Diner Seattle Public Theater’s Youth Program premieres Frank Garland’s play about a failing cafe’s plan to save itself. Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse, 7312 W. Green Lake Ave. N., 524-1300, seattlepublictheater.org. Donation. 7 p.m. Fri., May 2; 2 & 7 p.m. Sat., May 3; 2 p.m. Sun., May 4.

A New Brain William Finn’s semi-memoirish musical about a songwriter and his medical issues. Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center, 800-838-3006, seattlestageright.org. $15–$20. Opens May 2. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus Mon., May 12. Ends May 17.

Prince of Pears Jacob Schiffler’s new fairy-tale play about a prince’s quest. Hutchinson Hall, UW campus, drama.uw.edu. Donation. 8 p.m. Thurs., May 1–Sun., May 4.

The Real Folk Blues Burlesque inspired by the music of the classic anime series Cowboy Bebop. JewelBox/Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., scarlettohairdye.com. $12–$25. 7 & 8:30 p.m., Fri., May 2.

Returning to Albert Joseph Satori Group member Spike Friedman’s new show “drops us into a society where heroes are rational and inefficiency has been eliminated. Beneath the surface of this everyday, resistance pulses. When that world begins to crack, how do we survive?” Inscape, 815 Seattle Blvd. S., 800-838-3006, satori–group.com. $15. Opens May 2. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sun., plus Mon., May 12. Ends May 25.

The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window The Endangered Species Project reads Lorraine Hansberry’s socially conscious 1964 play. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. $10–$15. 7 p.m. Mon., May 5.

Spin the Bottle Annex Theatre’s late-night variety show, every first Friday. May’s show includes “buoyant banjo-plucking,” “entertaining introspection,” and much more. Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., 728-0933, annextheatre.org. $5–$10. 11 p.m. Fri., May 2.

Current Runs

The Beggar’s Opera Vaclav Havel’s non-musical take on John Gay’s 18th-century slum story (not the usual Weill/Brecht version). Jones Playhouse Theatre, 4045 University Way N.E., 543-4880, drama.uw.edu. $10–$20. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends May 4.

Bethany Laura Marks’ hasty 2013 thriller is something new, presenting a fresh set of characters in a very dark, topical caricature of recession-afflicted America, circa 2008: a struggling single mother, a homeless vagrant, a scheming would-be motivational speaker, and a buttoned-down social worker. we meet Crystal (Emily Chisholm) squatting in an abandoned home in a neighborhood ravaged by foreclosures. She soon encounters another squatter, Gary, a seemingly friendly homeless man (played dexterously by Darragh Kennan) who coaxes out her backstory: Crystal lost her home, and, after living in her car for a time, lost her daughter Bethany to Child Protective Services. Crystal does have a job as a sales associate at a local Saturn dealership, and she continues peddling at home, desperately trying to convince a social worker to return her daughter, fixing up her adopted home as if it were her own, furnishing the kitchen with cheap Goodwill furniture, and even casting Gary as her plumber (in a rare moment of levity). Crystal’s desperation is the engine of the drama, but also its flaw. With Bethany clocking in at a perhaps too-brief 80 minutes, the players—directed by John Langs—sometimes feel in a rush to enact their doom. The cast is hard-pressed to portray real characters in the vignettes one might find in a newspaper brief. MARK BAUMGARTEN ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676. $55 and up. Runs Tues.–Sun.; see acttheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends May 4.

Chaos Theory Local playwright Courtney Meaker’s new absurdist tragicomedy is aptly subtitled “A Play Seeking Order,” though Chaos Theory is replete with rather dense character development, plot twists, and pathos. The audience is dropped, mid-despair, into the living room of Frannie (Keiko Green) as she’s coping with the loss of her lover. Her quirky friends, male-identifying Bach (Evelyn Dehais) and goofy, dim-witted Seth (Drew Highlands), attempt to pull her out of this funk by introducing her to a book on chaos theory. For Frannie, it’s easier to theorize than to admit Mack (Jana Hutchison) could’ve abandoned her. She and her friends build what seems to be an alternate-reality machine, and all three have their motives for using this machine. (The three are so different, and so alike, that they may as well be facets of the same individual.) We never leave Frannie’s living room. Characters enter and exit, and we see action outside the door and windows. The set and character asides give the eerie feeling of being trapped inside a sitcom (there’s even a laugh track), but there’s nothing funny about being trapped in a situation you can never escape. Pamala Mijatov directs. IRFAN SHARIFF Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., 728-0933, annextheatre.org. $5–$20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends May 17.

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Ernest Shackleton Loves Me During the lion’s share of this new pocket musical, presented by Balagan Theatre, Valerie Vigoda gets to demonstrate her proven chops. Yet in the show’s first half hour, the energetic score—music and lyrics are co-credited to her and Brendan Milburn—turns her into the quiet person at a loud party. Which would be fine if she were a guest dropping by to say hello, but Vigoda’s the host and heroine here. It’s an odd start to an otherwise successful small-scale musical. Kat (Vigoda) is an unsuccessful opera composer saddled with a newborn in a freezing Brooklyn apartment after her baby daddy Bruce (Wade McCollum) departs. Somehow she finds herself receiving mysterious online romantic overtures from explorer Ernest Shackleton (also McCollum). He crosses a century and a refrigerator door to be with his lady love, and Kat finds herself acting as official muse for his beleaguered Antarctic expedition. Joe DiPietro’s script never attempts to hide the unreality of this time-travel romance, which is part of the show’s charm: Kat and Ernest behave like childhood playmates deep in a game of imagination time. This tight 90-minute show, directed by Lisa Peterson, features two likable leads who can sing and play banjo and violin, filling out a toe-tapping prerecorded score. The effect is generally whimsical and pleasing. Shackleton’s actual story was a matter of life and death. Here, one explorer’s hell is an artist’s escape. DANIEL NASH Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 329-1050, balagantheatre.org. $5–$45. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sun., 2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends May 3.

Gone Wild! A Savage Romp Through the Animal Kingdom Local performance troupe the Libertinis (“Seattle’s sexiest interdisciplinary arts ensemble”) add music, burlesque, and comedy to this tongue-in-cheek zoology lesson. Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., 728-0933, annextheatre.org. $5–$10. 11 p.m. Fri.–Sat., plus 8 p.m. Mon., May 5. Ends May 10.

Hair The smash ’60s musical is full of hippie goodness and song. ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. S.W., 938-0339, artswest.org. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. Ends June 7.

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.; see brownpapertickets.com for exact schedule. Ends May 3.

King Lear SEE REVIEW, PAGE TK.

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Little Shop of Horrors Alan Menken & Howard Ashman’s musical 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. 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.

Peter Pan Youth Theatre Northwest presents the classic. Youth Theatre Northwest, 8805 S.E. 40th St., Mercer Island, 232-4145 x100, youththeatre.org. $13–$17. 7 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends May 18.

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. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus Mon., May 5. Ends May 10.

A Room With a View It’s hard to imagine how prim and proper (and gay) E.M. Forster would feel about his 1908 novel becoming Broadway fodder. The 1985 movie is the more direct inspiration for writer Marc Acito and composer Jeffrey Stock, both Broadway veterans. 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). Who will she choose?!? Well, you’ve seen the movie, so you know. T. BOND 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., 625-1900. $29 and up. Runs Tues.–Sun., see 5thavenue.org for exact schedule. Ends May 11.

Snow White Stepparent issues and seven brothers (played by three actors). Runs weekends in various venues; see storybooktheater.org for exact schedule. $10.

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.

Truth Like the Sun Local writer Jim Lynch set this recent novel during our 1962 World’s Fair. Now see Book–It Repertory Theatre’s stage adaptation. Center House Theatre, Seattle Center, 216-0833. $23–$45. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see book-it.org for exact schedule. Ends May 18.

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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? SEE REVIEW, PAGE TK.

Dance

Alonzo King LINES Ballet This renowned contemporary ballet troupe draws inspiration from India, Turkey, and Italy, and performs to live tabla music.Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, uwworldseries.org. $44–$49. 8 p.m. Thurs., May 1–Sat., May 3.

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Seattle Dance Project SEE PICK LIST, PAGE TK.

12 Minutes Max Yet another eclectic showcase for local stage talent, running the spectrum from dance to cabaret. Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave., ontheboards.org. $8. 7 p.m. Sun., May 4–Mon., May 5.

Classical, Etc.

John Lill Beethoven’s “Appassionata,” Brahms intermezzos, and more from this pianist. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., 215-4747, seattlesymphony.org. $19 and up. 7:30 p.m. Wed., April 30.

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Seattle Symphony Out-of-town-tryouts, so to speak, for the orchestra’s NYC concerts May 5–6. At 7, the show they’re taking to Carnegie Hall: Adams, Varese and Debussy; at 10, their new-music concert to be heard at Poisson Rouge. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., 215-4747, seattlesymphony.org. Free. Fri., May 2.

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Seattle Composers Salon On Seattle’s new-music open-mike night, works by William O. Smith, Tom Baker, John Teske, and Keith Eisenbrey. Chapel Performance Space, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., composersalon.com. $5–$15. 8 p.m. Fri., May 2.

Baroque Northwest Music from New Orleans, from its days as the center of French high culture in North America. Trinity Episcopal Church, 609 Eighth Ave., 276-0871, baroquenorthwest.com. $15–$30. 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 3.

LUCO Chamber Music Cabaret Music from Lake Union Civic Orchestra players. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., luco.org. Free. 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 3.

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City Cantabile Choir A performance of the festive Gloria—re-orchestrated with rock guitar and drums added—anchors this all-Vivaldi program. Green Lake United Methodist Church, 6415 First Ave. N.E., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $15–$18. 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 3–Sun., May 4.

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Seattle Opera SEE PICK LIST, PAGE TK.

Circle of Friends Chamber music by various Mendelssohns and Schumanns, hosted by Robin McCabe. Brechemin Auditorium, School of Music, UW campus, 685-8384, music.washington.edu. $10. 4:30 p.m. Sun., May 4.

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Octava Chamber Orchestra Beethoven, Mozart, and a new work for trombone trio and orchestra by Michel R. Edward. Maple Park Church, 17620 60th Ave. W., Lynnwood, 4octavachamberorchestra.com. $5–$15. 6 p.m. Sun., May 4.

Moscow Virtuosi Vladimir Spivakov leads one of the world’s great chamber orchestras in a not-as-interesting-as-it-could-be program of music by Mozart, Piazzolla, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., 215-4747, seattlesymphony.org. $47–$87. 7 p.m. Sun., May 4.

Trio Brasiliero Brazil’s melting-pot cultural influences break loose in the genre called choro. With Anat Cohen and Jovino Santos Neto. Cornish College/PONCHO Concert Hall, 710 E. Roy St., cornish.edu. $10–$20. 7 p.m. Sun., May 4.

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Queen City Musicians This theater-oriented early-music ensemble debuts with Charpentier’s 1684 mini-opera Acteon (based on the myth of the hunter who saw the goddess Diana bathing—oops!), plus other French baroque works. Trinity Episcopal Church, 609 Eighth Ave., queencitymusicians.com. $10–$25. 7:30 p.m. Tues., May 6.

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Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble All kinds of new work on this fifth-anniversary celebration evening. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., thefrankagency.org. Pay what you can. 8 p.m. Wed., May 7.