Seattle Blog Theater

From a dark room with a green door at the beginning, to "the game is afoot" said in the middle of the show, to the applause of a satisfied audience at the curtain call - Miss Holmes, written by Christopher M. Walsh and directed by Angela M. Bayler of Centerstage Theater, is a clever spin on a classic. Female versions of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson create a feminist mystery with themes of death and betrayal while defying stereotypes of the typical Victorian Era woman by changing what would be proper Victorian Women's attire to pants, hats, and work boots. This was also done through how the women in the show talked and how sure of themselves they were. This show, boosted by excellent acting performances, delivers laughs and lots of whodunnit in a cozy, Federal Way theater. This was my first performance in Federal Way, and I was surprised to find this charming, innovative theater at the end of a long, woodsy road in a beautiful park. While I was eating a cookie from their refreshment table I saw a display portraying the challenges of Victorian womanhood and I appreciated being able to learn a little bit about this period before watching the show because it helped me understand the struggles that the female characters in the show faced. As the lights dimmed, the director stepped on the stage and introduced the show to the audience.  Although Miss Holmes and the 2020 film Enola Holmes are not the same, these female detectives have a few things in common: they both carry the Holmes name and have an overprotective brother named Mycroft. And despite being underestimated, these women use their knowledge and social status to blend into society and rebel against the expectations of the time.  The cast of Miss Holmes. Photo by Michelle Smith-Lewis.

The sets in the show feature the hospital where Dr. Watson works, Miss Holmes’s home, and Scotland Yard, and contain sophisticated portraits and warm furniture against a mysterious London background. The period costumes were chosen thoughtfully and were effective for every character. I especially loved Watson’s tweed buttoned-up dress and her medical bag. The men's button-up suits were fitting and I loved Mycroft's cane but it was used more like a prop than a cane itself. This made me wonder why they used the prop if he was only supposed to hold it and not use it for walking. I only wished for some more wardrobe changes for the two main roles which would have made the show more realistic and brought more personality through the characters.

This review contains spoilers for the play Covenant.

From start to finish, ArtsWest’s Covenant was never what I expected it to be. It begins as a fairly standard family drama in 1930’s Georgia: sheltered, innocent Avery (Simone Alene) wants to leave town with charismatic yet mysterious guitarist Johnny (Donovan Mahannah), but Mama (Felicia Loud) and her pious Black-church values won’t approve. The show foreshadows its ominous tone from the start, especially through the narration of neighbor Ruthie (Kaila Towers), but that eeriness is initially masked by punchy humor and charming small-town colloquialisms.

The script of University of Washington’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale was adapted by the director of the show, Kate Drummond. In an interview with Drummond, she stated the goal going into this process was “not to ‘fix’ it,  but to reveal how vital a story it is for our world today.” The adaptation’s effects range from changing the role of certain characters to creating a smoother transition from modern English to Shakespearean iambic pentameter. Now reimagined, the play explores themes of betrayal, tragedy, and redemption in scenes constructed by fluid genres and evolving characters. 

With the adaptation being made up of roughly 25-30 percent added text, mostly written by Drummond, the archaic Shakespeare play is given a fresh perspective. One of the main characters, Autolycus, is altered from a lightly featured character to a comical “unreliable narrator.” Autolycus scatters modern language throughout the new version of the play, to which Drummond said “the inclusion of some disruptive modern text (like “frat brother,” or “too soon?” re: making a teeth joke after Antigonus is eaten) is contributing to this sense of keeping us on our toes.” These abrupt language shifts make Autolycus feel more personal, and break down the fourth wall to further let us into the story. Photo by Sunny Martini

From the first chorus of the opening song “Omigod You Guys!” Village Theatre’s presentation of Legally Blonde The Musical is like being blasted with a pink confetti cannon of positivity. This musical has everything: catchy songs, lovable characters, an upbeat story, and even two adorable real dogs. Fans were decked out, some in all pink, with glowing smiles to see the classic movie brought to life onstage. This musical draws on the enduring appeal of protagonist Elle Woods’ journey to get taken seriously, and it adds a whole new layer of humor and pink pizzazz. Although the plotline seems centered around a typical chick flick romance, the impact of Village Theatre’s production comes from the unique ways it foregrounds subtler themes: sisterhood, hopes and dreams, the illusion of perfection, and keeping a positive outlook through life’s trials. 

Let’s start with the venue! The Everett Performing Arts Center was embellished with pink Legally Blonde paraphernalia. The staff was cheerful and the patrons, many of whom clearly love this story, were excitedly taking selfies in the photo booth. The theater was just big enough to have an astounding set, lighting, and orchestra pit while still maintaining a feeling of community and mutual excitement. Not that they would have had any problem with that anyway; this musical was so upbeat, funny, and heartwarming that it kept me engaged every second. 

Ask yourself: “Where is Here?” 

The answer might seem quite obvious, whether it's your bed, school, or your living room couch. We all have places we deem familiar, where we have put down our “roots.” For Azam, our protagonist, the answer isn’t so clear. 

Death has never been more lighthearted or absurd than in Noël Coward’s comedy Blithe Spirit. Directed by Allison Narver, Seattle Rep’s production stays true to the “spirit” of the classic play, transforming darkness into light through humor. Despite being written in 1941, Blithe Spirit possesses a timeless appeal, transporting modern audiences into an old-fashioned, mystical, and outrageous world where their worries can be temporarily forgotten.

Blithe Spirit revolves around a supernatural love triangle. Novelist Charles Condomine (Arlando Smith) and his wife Ruth (Gin Hammond) invite the medium Madame Arcati (Anne Allgood) and their friends Dr. and Mrs. Bradman (Nate Tenenbaum and Sara Waisanen) to dinner. Seeking inspiration for his newest novel, Charles asks Madame Arcati to perform a séance. However, he gets more than he bargained for when Madame Arcati accidentally manifests the ghost of his late wife Elvira (Kirsten Potter). Charles must then contend with the complicated reality of having both Ruth and Elvira in the house. Meanwhile, Elvira, who is visible only to Charles, has her own plans for making him hers once more…Lead photo: Gin Hammond, Kirsten Potter, and Arlando Smith in Blithe Spirit (2024). Photo by Nate Watters.

A magnificent mess of great multitudes, The Dina Martina Christmas Show at ACT Theatre is a performance that perfectly encompasses the holiday season. Full of personality and unapologetic flair, ecstatic raconteur Dina Martina, accompanied by her talented pianist Chris Jeffries, puts on a colorful show full of impeccable humor that will knock your socks off. Her boisterous first segment is filled to the brim with personalized Christmas caroling and hilarious anecdotes, and her second echoes her appreciation for her local audience by honoring the history of Seattle and looking back on the beginnings of her career. From the very moment she bursts onto the stage, Dina Martina is sure to keep audiences captivated with her distinct and unforgettable charm for a night of holiday shenanigans.

Throughout the show, Dina Martina establishes her classic, sporadic persona that is especially relatable when facing the pandemonium of the Christmas agenda. Her loud songs paired with flashy costumes transformed her image, characterizing her as the belle of the ball and immediately grabbing the attention of the audience. The manner in which she hastily fiddles with ornaments, jingle bells, and other classic Christmas decorations while dancing freely on the stage enhances her frenzied energy that zaps the audiences with giddiness and joy as if they were on the dance floor themselves. While satisfying the spontaneity and volume of her character, I enjoyed how Dina Martina presented a myriad of layered plotlines without pressuring the audience to follow a mentally exhaustive story. Each of the components that compile the obscure yet engrossing details of her stories are not necessarily connected like the chapters of a book; rather, they sprout like individual nuggets of information that the audience can digest at an upbeat yet comfortable pace. Especially after a long week of 9 to 5 work days, Dina Martina’s lighthearted and humorous stories are refreshing and easy to listen to. In her scattered recollections of holiday seasons past, she also provokes a reemergence of contagious holiday cheer. With comedy, she energizes her listeners like a bolt of lightning and powers the triumphant sound of hearty laughs that ring constant throughout the night. The evening I attended, the December 13 show, was particularly powerful; I’ve attended many Dina Martina performances before but cannot recall the last instance I witnessed and interacted with such a passionate and united crowd. The liveliness of the show, however, must also be accredited to the set and lighting design. I felt like a welcomed guest when faced with the coziness of an intricately crafted living room filled with garlands, wreaths, and illuminated family photos. The Christmas tree was a bold presence in the room, and it protected the perfectly-placed presents that symbolized the gifts of entertainment, memories, and love that would reveal themselves as the night progressed. Each and every one of these elements electrified the venue with elevated spirits and mirrored the vibrancy of Dina Martina’s performance. The lighting design extended the divine visual ambience and aesthetics of the set; fast-moving golden spotlights followed Martina as she performed her musical pieces, projected sprinkling snowflakes framed her as she recalled memories from her winters, and a periwinkle spotlight set the sentimental tone for the second act. These technical elements matched the vitality of Dina Martina’s character without overwhelming her stage presence, perfecting a balance that is often difficult to obtain with dynamic stand-up performances.Dina Martina in The Dina Martina Christmas Show. Photo by Giao Nguyen.

Having grown up Catholic, the Nativity story always surrounded me. Whether it be through slowly reading the Gospel verses in our advent calendar, picture books with sheep smiling joyfully at a cartoon baby Jesus, or simply seeing the Nativity decorations around my house, the story became a routine part of my holiday season. Over time, it slowly lost its magic for me. It simply seemed ordinary; that is, until I saw Intiman Theatre’s reimagined production of  Black Nativity. This song-play by Langston Hughes combines touching poetry, enthralling dance, and powerful gospel renditions of familiar Christmas carols to bring the Christmas story to life and imbue each audience member with true Christmas spirit.  The cast of Black Nativity. Photo by Joe Moore.

When my parents and I first got to Broadway Performance Hall, located in the Fine Arts Building of Seattle Central College, I was meant by a wave of warmth. “Funky Little Drummer Boy” by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings played as the ticket sales-woman wished my family and I happy holidays and pointed us towards the cozy waiting room. From there, we entered the intimate theater, where even from the back row, I could clearly see the intricate panels lining the back of the stage. The panels gave the illusion of glowing frames of stained glass, a vibrant mosaic coming together to create a nativity scene. Soon, the house lights began to dim. While I was prepared for beautiful singing and poetry, what first struck me was the dancing included throughout the show. At the start of the show, a group of dancers appeared on stage in a theater of near silence. As they began a series of mesmerizing movements, sounds of their steps echoed into the audience, creating an intimate and energized atmosphere. Similarly, the towering shadows of the dancers were cast onto the walls by the soft lighting, surrounding the audience in the movement and drawing everyone closer. 

The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of the childhood classic Mary Poppins is “Practically Perfect” in every way. Running from November 21 to December 25, The 5th Avenue Theatre in the heart of Seattle has put forth their take on the beloved musical adaptation of the P. Travers books and 1964 film. Showcasing detailed set pieces and special effects, dramatic lighting and costumes, and fantastic actors, the work is able to fully immerse the audience into the world of magic while simultaneously pushing those watching to reflect on both personal and political issues. 

Set in England in 1910, Mary Poppins depicts the story of the Banks family, consisting of parents George and Winifred Banks, and their two young children, Jane and Michael. Jane and Michael consistently drive off any nanny that comes to their household, leaving their parents at a loss for what to do with them. In a twist of luck, or perhaps fate, the magical Mary Poppins winds up at the Banks household, offering to take on the role of their nanny. Will her whimsical ways be enough to bring this family back together?Mallory Cooney King and Danny Gardner in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins. Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka. Courtesy of The 5th Avenue Theatre.

The Pomegranate Tree, created and directed by Suz Pontillo and Ayla Wren Wallace, is nothing short of a fun time. The experience is part play, part party, and part choose-your-own-adventure game. The best part is that you can choose exactly what you want it to be at any given time. 

The experience invites you, mortals, to be a guest at the wedding of Hades and Persephone along with gods and heroes of Greek myth. Audience members were given a coin upon entering the waiting area. For those unfamiliar with Greek mythology, in ancient Greece, people were buried with coins under their tongues to serve as payment for their passage to the afterlife. Details in the show are consistently accurate to the original myths. We were then led into the main room and introduced to the story by Kharon, the ferryman, and Hecate, the goddess of magic. The area consisted of a small stage at the front with two thrones, a grove with a pomegranate tree, a bar in the back, and several tables towards the sides of the room. The design was relatively simple yet well-crafted and thought out. It served the purposes of the show well.

Do you remember how you saw the world as a kid? For me and my overactive imagination, the world was so big and full of possibility—yet things were so much simpler. As soon as I walked into Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT) with my family, TheaterWorksUSA’s musical adaptation of Cat Kid Comic Club took me back to that vibrant simplicity.

When I was around six years old, my favorite book series was Captain Underpants. Upon first discovery, the memorable characters, irreverent humor, and innovative page-flipping fight scenes had me captivated, and after begging my parents to buy it for me, I read the book cover-to-cover… and then I immediately reread it two more times.

If you like good fiction, you will like Electric Poe… 

I am not a true theater person – I enjoy it, but it is not my favorite artistic medium. The reason I say this is because Electric Poe (by the Coterie Theatre at Union Cemetery) broke through the cynical shell that surrounds my brain when I ingest a piece of theater for the first time.

On Saturday, October 5, the first “Inspired By…” play festival was performed at Seattle’s Cornish Raisbeck Auditorium. Produced by Mirror Stage, the event featured six different plays by six different playwrights, each one inspired by real, influential change-makers. Although each only ran for 10 minutes, they stood out as complete stories on their own, deeply reflecting many societal topics such as mental health, race, abortion, and more.

Despite this being the first ever Inspired By… festival, the audience was nothing short of exuberant. Upon entering, families milled about in the lobby and around the food tables, chatting happily with each other and the staff. Clearly, many were returning audience members, and they remained upbeat throughout the show.

This review contains spoilers.

Calling for a celebration of teens! The upcoming youth-driven play, The Clockwork Professor, was produced with the efforts of teen collaborations. From the Youth Advisory Cohort, to the lighting and marketing interns, to the assistant directors, the teens have come together to create an amazing production.

The Youth Advisory Cohort plays a pivotal role in shaping this summer's theatrical experience at Seattle Public Theater. From selecting the director to reading scripts and assisting in casting decisions, these teens are the driving force behind the production's creative direction. As the youth recall the play, their favorite moments illustrate how fun the entire process is.

Fat Ham is a radiant phoenix soaring through the ashes of Hamlet’s tragedy. With a lively set and explosive characters, this show is a sweet to the sweet.

We follow the story mainly from Juicy, a Queer Black man who struggles with the recent union of his mother, Tedra, and his uncle, Rev. The couple, who married shortly after the death of Juicy’s father, hosts a barbecue party to celebrate. While Juicy helps set up the backyard for the party, the ghost of his dead father visits him and orders him to kill Rev, revealing he was the one that killed him. From there, the story spirals into chaos including musical performances and questionable monologues, while introducing us to the reimagined versions of Hamlet’s characters. Giving a fresh adaptation that branches out from the original play, we see how a story of a woeful prince of Denmark becomes a tasteful tale for the modern age.

Fat Ham is a theatrical feast. It’s a pork-fectly captivating performance full of outstanding success, from the language to the dance party in the end, this production is a must-see. Don’t miss out on this flavorful ride!

Fat Ham, written by James Ijames is a Hamlet-inspired play that made its successful debut at the Public Theater in New York City on May 12, 2022. This production has been generating excitement for its strong exploration of identity through the idea of toxic masculinity, vulnerability and building community. Its recent show on May 9, 2024 in Seattle highlighted the importance of being yourself and accepting who you are. Unlike Hamlet, Fat Ham is mostly focused on finding yourself and not much on seeking revenge. The story revolves around Juicy, a young Queer African American man, who is confronted by the ghost of his dad during a barbecue in the backyard of his modern-day American house, with his contemporary Southern family.

Subverting expectations is the name of the game with this play. Fat Ham is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s titular play Hamlet. This play written by James Ijames is a wonderful example of subversion that deserves recognition. It truly feels like a modern take on the works of Shakespeare, who, bear in mind, actually wrote a large amount of comedies. The humor and tragedy are blended so finely that it will leave you in both kinds of tears.

Its intentional focus on Hamlet isn’t just superficial or simply the base in the blend of a story, but the core of which the whole story sits on, allowing the reflection of Shakespeare's work to be visible throughout this play. The values of this story flipped on its head as the story asks, “Why must it be this way?” creating comedy in the face of would-be tragedy. With the focus character of this play being Juicy, our Hamlet counterpart focuses on why one should be allowed to be soft combined with the hardships one would face as one strives for it. This perfectly compliments Larry, the Laertes counterpart which at first seems to coincide with Laertes much more than Juicy with Hamlet, with how he served in the military and even more so with him being an honor-bound yes-man. But if you look closer you see an inner softness that wants to escape the pressure put on him that is practically restraining him to that version of him that other people want him to be.

Fat Ham at the Seattle Rep is a wonderful performance that creates a conversation with the audience about self expression, identity, expectations, and above all else takes immense joy in having fun with the audience. From the set work to the actors’ physical performance, a sense of excitement and festivity is present through the entire play. Although it is very different from its source material of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Fat Ham does keep a condensed form of the original’s structure, using it to orient the audience and smoothly establish the play’s characters, plot, and where it differs. The play opens with Juicy (the analog to prince Hamlet) and Tio (the analog to Horatio and Juicy’s cousin) decorating for the party celebrating the marriage of Juicy’s mother, Tedra to his uncle, Rev, which will be the setting for the rest of the play.

Throughout the performance, the cast and especially Juicy, will address or acknowledge the audience, the Shakespearean origins of the play, and the expectations the audience has from those origins. Early on, Juicy will quote lines from Hamlet to demonstrate how he is more studied and introspective than those around him and this evolves later into one of multiple fourth wall breaks, where Juicy stops the play and quotes one of Hamlet’s famous soliloquies in its entirety to the audience. This element of the play can be seen as clunky or gratuitous, but it’s a functional way to integrate Hamlet into its shortened structure and lighter self-referential tone.

Backyard barbeques aren’t your typical setting for tragedies—especially not a Shakespearean tragedy. And yet, the Pulitzer prize-winning interpretation of Hamlet, called Fat Ham, takes place in a suburban backyard. Playwright James Ijames reimagined Hamlet, a story of death, tragedy, and revenge, to be retold by a Southern African American family. Hamlet himself is represented by a queer Black man named Juicy, tackling the challenges of generational trauma and self-identity. The characters themselves struggle with modern problems in a modern-day setting, attributing to the play's biggest strength—its relatability. James Ijames took advantage of the universality of Shakespeare’s themes and effectively translated them into a Southern context. Much like Hamlet, Fat Ham begins with the celebration of Juicy’s mother marrying his Uncle, Rev. However, unlike Elsinore, their wedding cookout takes place in Juicy’s backyard, shortly after the death of Juicy’s father, Pap. Pap later returns in a ghostly form and demands that Juicy avenge him, as it was Rev who was responsible for Pap's murder. This event serves as a foundation for Ijames to introduce themes of mental health, violence, and generational trauma within Black communities. Fat Ham serves as a successful adaptation of Hamlet due to its representation of conflicts within Black communities and breaking those cycles.

While Fat Ham does showcase the darker side of African American trauma, it shows those patterns being broken and resolved. An example of this is with Pap. Ijames strategically paints him out to be an abusive father, to represent violence within Black communities in the play. This message is conveyed through aggressive, argumentative dialogue to engage the audience with captivating, evoking verbal conflicts. During Pap’s visit from beyond the grave, they argued, violent words being thrown at each other at bone-rattling volumes. As someone who has heard such conflicts many times before in my own family on similar topics, I found the disagreements to be very relatable. It feels raw, using commonly used phrases many teens hear these days coming from parents, which is something that many fights in entertainment tend to overlook. You can tell Ijames and other writers had done their research when skillfully writing what real quarrels sound like. The dialogue continues to be this play's strong suit to also convey themes of mental health to both characters and directly to the audience.