Preview Post – Anyone Can Whistle – Musical – Reboot Theatre at Theatre Off Jackson

Anyone Can Whistle wacky Sondheim musical opening weekend by Reboot Theatre at Theatre Off Jackson. Performing until 3/23/24. Stay tuned for my full review!

Tickets: https://reboottheatre.org/

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Peter and the Starcatcher – Play – Reboot Theatre Company

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Peter and the Starcatcher play (adapted from the book) with Reboot Theatre Company. Fun origin story of Peter Pan starring Rhys Daly, Mariah Lee Squires, and Karin Terry. Strong, energetic acting and vocal projection.

Synopsis from the Theatre: Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair… and the bonds of friendship, duty and love. A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.

Attended Performance Date: 9/9/23 (Opening Weekend)

Type: Play with music

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’d probably enjoy this more if you’re familiar with the Peter Pan story.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: The actors played the ukelele, trumpet, kazoo(?), and guitar during a few numbers. There were 1-2 songs with piano accompaniment, but I couldn’t determine if it was live or recorded.

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 15

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours

Intermission Included: Yes

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: No, I saw this at ArtsWest when I first moved to Seattle. But there were many scenes/elements in this production that I don’t remember from the ArtsWest production. Maybe I’m getting older…

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Probably not … it’s a well-written show but two times is enough for me

Recommendation: See it, especially if you enjoy British-inspired humor/acting.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • End of First Act: The song before the intermission was a grandiose showstopper, which is impressive for a show that’s not even a musical!

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Narration: The narration was in the style of the actors narrating each other’s actions or their own actions. It reminded me of many past plays produced by the recently-closed Book-it Repertory Theatre.

Theatre Company: Reboot Theatre Company

Venue: Theatre Off Jackson

Venue Physical Address: 409 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select the $5 inclusion rate option on the website

Dates: September 8 to 23, 2023

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Paid street parking is usually available north of the theatre on the hill close to the park. You can also try free parking on Jackson Street closer to the I-5 bridge. As usual, there are paid parking lots nearby as well.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Colin Madison Photography.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below

@showsiveseen "Peter & the #Starcatcher" #play (adapted from the book) with Reboot Theatre directed by Riley Gene. Fun origin story of #PeterPan starring @Rhys, Mariah Lee Squires, & Karin Terry. Strong, energetic acting, & vocal projection. Photos by Colin Madison. Review: showsiveseen.com/6573 #showsiveseen #theatre ♬ past life – elijah woods
RoleName
Ted Henry Behrens
Mrs. Bumbreak/Sanchez Kendra Tamär Budd
Grempkin/Mack/Prawn Rolando Cardona-Roman
Boy/Teacher Rhys Daly
Bill Slank/Clam Anamaria Guerzon
Prentiss Morgan Gwilym Tso
Smee Jayne Hubbard
AlfHelene Minassian
Ensemble/Understudy Adrian Prendergast
Ensemble/Understudy Monty Rozema
Lord AsterDan Ruiz Salvatura
Captain Scott James Schilling
Molly Mariah Lee Squires
Black Stache Karin Terry
Ensemble/Understudy Miles Wingett
Director Riley Gene
PlaywrightRick Elice based on a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Composer Wayne Barker
Musical Director/Sound Designer Kate Falconer
Stage Manager Emily Grierson
Assistant Stage Manager Valerie Reid
Associate Stage Manager Ryan Long
Scenic/Props Designer Robin Macartney
Lighting Designer Jacob Viramontes
Costume DesignerElsa Goodmon
Fight Director Adrian Prendergast
Poster DesignersBrad Walker, Noel Pederson
Production Managers Xandria Nirvana, Easterday Callahan
Photographer Colin Madison Photography

Preview Post – Peter and the Starcatcher – Play – Reboot Theatre Company

Peter and the Starcatcher play by Reboot Theatre Company. Opening weekend at Theatre Off Jackson. Performing until 9/23. Stay tuned for my full review!

Tickets: reboot.booktix.com

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110 in the Shade – Musical – Reboot Theatre Company & Seattle Public Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): 110 in the Shade musical w/ Seattle Public Theatre & Reboot Theatre Company. Wonderful production that touches on what it means to be a woman … through the lens of genderblind casting! Loved the juxtaposition between life choices of nomadic adventure vs quiet stability.

Synopsis from the Theatre: Reboot Theatre Company, known for its intriguing deep dives and fresh interpretations of theater, brings to life 110 in the Shade, a beautiful exploration of love, hope, and acceptance. From the creators of The Fantasticks, 110 in the Shade is a touching and intimate musical adaptation of the hit play The Rainmaker. Set in a small western town besieged by drought, Lizzie, intelligent and independent, struggles with the societal pressure to do as a “woman” should do. One blistering hot day, Lizzie’s family urges her to marry the recently widowed Sheriff File, while charismatic stranger Starbuck comes to town with promises of being able to make it rain. Immediately suspicious, Lizzie tries to pick apart Starbuck’s story, but realizes a deeper truth about herself along the way. While the source material was written in the 1950’s, director Scot Charles Anderson will take a closer look at the seemingly simplified gender roles in classic Reboot style.

Reviewed Performance: 3/17/23 Opening Night

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Several

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes, they also included a banjo, bass, and a fiddle for that authentic country feel. Some cast members even played instruments like the guitar and ukelele!

Recommendation: See it!

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 12

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Scenic Design: Nice rustic design with a windmill and a circular stage. Very Restoration Hardware. Who knew you could make such a great background with a bunch of two-by-fours! See pictures and video at the end of this article.
  • Dramatic Climax: I’m a huge fan of scenes when a character is verbally eviscerated on-stage. The simple “you’re plain!” pronouncement toward the end of the first act conveyed the same thrilling ring as “you’re a virgin who can’t drive.”
  • Delightful Characters: It was pleasure watching June Apollo Johns (Bill Starbuck) and Walden Barnett Marcus (Jimmy Curry) portray their characters on-stage. Tessa James (as the ditsy Snookie Updegraff) made the scenes with Walden even more delightful!
  • Lizzy: Paris Manzanares was well-cast as the female lead character Lizzy. Paris manifested a graceful feminine energy with a good country accent. It was interesting to observe the script’s commentary on what it means to be a woman when a trans actress played the female lead. The line “if you don’t believe you’re a woman, you’re not” was particularly poignant with this casting decision. Paris’s vocal range difference from her character’s soprano melodies also didn’t detract from her performance. I loved how this production paired a trans woman opposite of a traditionally handsome/ideal cis male (the dashing Ricky Spaulding who portrayed Sheriff File). I typically don’t see a lot of those pairings in theatre or the media. It didn’t hurt that they had great chemistry too.
  • A Simple Life: The message in “Simple Little Things” song rang true for me since I don’t particularly crave an exciting life … other than seeing ~3 shows per week! Some may even consider my career boring, but I kind of like boring. I also hate surprises, traveling, adrenaline rushes (like skydiving), and partying. I’m more of a homebody. “Simple Little Things” says that’s okay.
  • Sound Effects: Instead of recorded audio clips, the cast and band generated most of the sound effects like radio music, a rusty windmill, a train, and an owl.
  • Fireflies: It was novel how the ensemble depicted fireflies in the background during the evening scenes as they surrounded the main characters. I’m glad it gave them something to do since I kind of felt bad for them sitting on-stage excluded from the main action.

Rant(s)

  • Sound Balancing: The actors were not mic’ed and the band sometimes overpowered the singers, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the recent Rock of Ages I attended. I suggest finding a seat far away from the band like on the right side of theatre (if you face the stage). My seat was on the left side of the theatre, which was the same side as the band.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Genderblind Casting: In true Reboot Theatre Company fashion, they “genderblindly” cast many roles. It was very woke Seattle. However, as I frequently rant in my reviews, genderblind casting in musicals is sometimes a problem if performers sing parts that were originally written for a different vocal range. As mentioned above, this thankfully wasn’t a problem with Lizzy for some strange reason (maybe they transposed for her?), but it was occasionally a problem for other cast members. Singing an octave higher or lower than the original melody usually doesn’t sound good. I don’t know a great solution for this. Gender inclusivity is important in theatre, but I also want to hear melodies without awkward vocal placement.
  • Heat: For a show with a hot temperature in its name, I thought there’d be more references to heat. I feel like the only mention of heat was during the first couple of minutes. There were a lot of references to dryness/drought but that doesn’t necessarily mean hot.
  • Lizzie Appearance Flaw: I was confused with what was supposedly wrong with Lizzie. The dialogue frequently mentioned that Lizzy was plain, but the actress was actually beautiful. While the wig looked nice, the actress didn’t look terrible without it. Was this mismatch of what I saw vs what I heard a commentary on how internal/external voices can negate how beautiful we truly are? They say your biggest critic is yourself. Let me know what you think in my social media comment links below!
  • Gun Holster Belt: I kept worrying Sherrif File’s holster would fall! Do they usually sag so low?

Theatre Company: Reboot Theatre Company and Seattle Public Theatre

Venue: Seattle Public Theatre (aka Bathhouse Theatre)

Venue Physical Address:7312 West Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98103

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select ticket prices as low as $5 on the ticketing website for those who find the higher options a financial barrier to enjoying great theatre. There is also no seat placement difference between ticket prices.

Dates: March 16 to April 9, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Free plentiful parking lot of Greenlake Park, which is adjacent to the theatre

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video below by Colin Madison Photography

@showsiveseen “110 in the Shade” #musical w/ @seattlepublictheater & Reboot Theatre. Wonderful production that explores what it means to be a woman … through the lens of genderblind casting! Loved the juxtaposition between life choices of nomadic adventure vs quiet stability. Based on “The #Rainmaker” play. Photos by Colin Madison. Review showsiveseen.com/4434 #theatre ♬ Lizzie’s Comin’ Home – Will Geer & Steve Roland & Scooter Teague
Walden Barrett, Natalie Moe, Ricky Spaulding, and Lyam White in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Natalie Moe, June Apollo Johns, and Paris Manzanares in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Natalie Moe, Paris Manzanares, June Apollo Johns, and Walden Barnett in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Walden Barnett Marcus, Natalie Moe, and Paris Manzanares in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
The company of 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Tessa James and Walden Barnett Marcus in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Paris Manzanares and Lyam White in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Paris Manzanares and June Apollo Johns in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.
Walden Barnett Marcus and Tessa James in 110 IN THE SHADE, a co-production between Reboot Theatre and Seattle Public Theater.

Jesus Christ Superstar – Musical – Reboot Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Jesus Christ Superstar musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber w/ Reboot Theatre Company at Theatre Off Jackson. Novel modernized production w/ a cool TV-driven set. Sweet harmony from the energetic inclusively-cast ensemble. Pleasantly surprised there was a tap dance number. Favorite actors were Herod, Annas, & Pilate. #Jesus #Christ #JesusChristSuperstar #JesusChrist #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Don’t miss our high octane heavenly production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR! We’re excited to continue our reputation for new interpretations of established musicals and long history of inclusive with this rockin’ fan favorite, featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR focuses on the personal relationships between Jesus, Mary, and Judas, and examines the highs and lows of stardom, fanaticism, and mob justice.

Reviewed Performance Date: 11/4/22 Evening

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band: Yes

Recommendation: See it! Especially if you like inclusive casting.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.5 stars

Equity Actors: Zero but don’t let that steer you away from this production.

Rant(s)

  • Background vocals on namesake signature song “Superstar” needed more volume or energy.
  • While I appreciate the gender inclusive casting that Reboot Theatre is known for, I wish they would (or could?) transpose songs sung by the opposite gender of what the composer wrote it for. Often times, performers were singing at the lower end of their range and the audience either can’t hear it or it just doesn’t sound good.

Other Rave(s)

  • I loved how Noel Pederson portrayed Annas as a stern, cold, calculating corporate suit well on her way to eventually shatter the glass ceiling!

Theatre Company : Reboot Theatre Company

Venue: Theatre Off Jackson

Venue Physical Address: 409 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

Price: Cheap w/ inclusive pricing options

Dates: November 4-19, 2022

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Paid street parking is available north of the theatre on the hill close to the park. I think there might be free street parking east of the theatre on Jackson starting under the bridge. There’s also paid parking lots nearby as well.

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Cast and Production Team: Under the video and pictures.

Other Video +/- Pictures: Photography in video and under video are by Colin Madison Photography.

@showsiveseen "Jesus Christ Superstar" #musical by @officialalw w/ Reboot Theatre Company at Theatre Off Jackson. Novel modernized production w/ a cool TV-driven set. Sweet harmony from the energetic inclusively-cast ensemble. Pleasantly suprised there was a tap dance number. Favorite actors were Herod, Annas, & Pilate. Review & Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/1921 #Jesus #Christ #JesusChristSuperstar #JesusChrist #theatre #AndrewLloydWebber ♬ Superstar – Andrew Lloyd Webber & "Jesus Christ Superstar" 1996 London Cast & Zubin Varla
William Douglas Johnson (Jesus) and Jordyn Day Palmer (Mary) in Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
The cast of Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
Front: William Douglas Johnson (Jesus) and Shana E. Emile (Judas) with the ensemble of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Reboot Theatre Company.
Shana E. Emile (Judas), William Douglas Johnson (Jesus), and Jordyn Day Palmer (Mary) in Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
The cast of Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
Kiki Werner (Simon), Natalie Moe, Jordyn Day Palmer (Mary), Aaron Jin, Jacqueline Tardanico, and (kneeling) Matthew Reyes (Peter) in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Reboot Theatre Company.
Noel Pederson (Annas), David Breyman (Caiaphas), Mariesa Gonzale, Natalie Moe (Herod), and Aaron Jin in Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
Noel Pederson (Annas), Mariesa Gonzale, Shana E. Emile (Judas), Khane Berry, and David Breyman (Caiaphas) in Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
The cast of Jesus Christ Superstar at Reboot Theatre Company.
RoleName
JesusWilliam Douglas Johnson
CaiaphasDavid Breyman
JudasShana E. Emile
PilateJasmine Joshua
HerodNatalie Anne Moe
MaryJordyn Day Palmer
AnnasNoel Pederson
PeterMatthew Reyes
SimonKristie Werner
SwingJoanna Hardie
Sarah Hooper
EnsembleKhane Berry
Mariesa Genzale
Aaron Jin
Jacqueline Tardanico (Jesus/Judas/Mary Understudy)
Conductor/Keyboard 1Sam Peters
Keyboard 2William Bryant
Jenny Nguyen (Alternate)
BassKendall Crane
GuitarCam Schneider
DrumsScot Sexton
______
Director/ChoreographerHarry Turpin
Musical DirectorSam Peters
Stage ManagerMeredith Zandi
Associate DirectorMandy Rose Nichols
Lighting DesignCarolina Johnson
Costume DesignJanelle Kimbrough
Video EngineerLaser Volcanoes: Grant Boling, Andrew Croll
Video Graphics and Poster DesignNoel Pederson
QLab ProgrammingBrendan Mack
Props DesignJessamyn Bateman-Iino
Sound DesignSandra Huezo-Menjivar
A/V InstallationBruce Hart
Production ManagerScot Charles Anderson
Artist LiaisonWei Low
Dance CaptainMariesa Genzale
Tap Dance CaptainMeredith Zandi
Fight CaptainDavid Breyman
ComposerAndrew Lloyd Webber
LyricistTim Rice
Executive Director (TOJ)Patti West
Business Manager (TOJ)Karen Shay
Technical Liaison (TOJ)Catriona Urquhart
Technical/Production Coordinator (TOJ)Frank Phillips
Front of House Manager (TOJ)Tim Crist