Allan – Page 37 – Shows I've Seen

Moulin Rouge! The Musical – Paramount Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Moulin Rouge! The Musical w/ Broadway at The Paramount & Seattle Theatre Group. Ostentatious dazzling scenic design. Fabulous costumes. Endless catchy modern pop culture song mashups not in the movie. Dances set to exciting heart-pounding beats. Truth, beauty, freedom, love! #bohemia #extravaganza #theatre #jukebox

Synopsis from the Theatre: Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Directed by Tony Award® winner Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and — above all — Love. With a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan; music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tony Award® winner Justin Levine; and choreography by Tony Award® winner Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! is more than a musical — it is a state of mind.

Reviewed Performance: 12/16 Opening Press Night – There were major call outs that required the understudies. Denzel Tsopnang portrayed the Duke, which was usually David Harris. Andrew Brewer portrayed Christian, which was usually Conor Ryan. And Adéa Michelle Sessoms portrayed La Chocolat, which was usually Harper Miles.

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it whether or not you watched the movie. I’m still in awe at how breathtaking and entertaining the show was.

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes but I’ve seen the movie

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

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

Equity Actors: The program doesn’t mention this but I assume all of them are Equity.

Length: 2.5 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Song Mashups: I’m simply amazed at the number of pop culture songs they fit into this jukebox musical. They must pay through the nose in royalties! The original classic songs in the movie (like “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”) were outnumbered by reimagined mashups of more modern songs written after the film was released. There were times I couldn’t determine if the heavy thump in my chest was from the orchestra’s strong driving beat or my excitement from hearing songs like Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” The chorus in Katy Perry’s “Firework” was also particularly spectacular. A couple other favorites include Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity,” Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” & Sia’s “Chandelier.”
Scenic Designs: Gorgeous, stunning, gaudy, and glamorous! There were lots of diamonds, hearts, and saturated colors everywhere. At times, it felt like Valentines Day and Lisa Frank exploded on stage … in a good way! The sets of the Parisian scenes outside the Moulin Rouge establishment were starkly opposite and it definitely shows the range of talent from the scenic designers.
Male Lead Understudy: Andrew Brewer, the understudy for Christian, had such a nice voice.
Opening Scene: The performers effectively hooked the audience early on with the glitz and glamour of the Moulin Rouge establishment. This is in contrast to other musicals like Wicked and The Wiz that honestly start out a little boring.
Absinthe: Novel green-lit props showed absinthe’s eerie properties and the amount the characters consumed.
Breakup Scene: Maybe it’s the “Mean Girl” in me but the way Satine (Courtney Reed) cut Christian at the knees for his safety was particularly delicious.
Costumes: They were extravagant, interesting, and intricate. Two favorites were the tuxedo tutu dresses and the headpiece that looked like fallopian tubes.
Favorite Lines: A couple include “Gaga ooo la la? Hmmm … we might want to rethink that” and “I want to make desperate love to each and every one of you.” The double entendre scene where Satine was talking about sex while Christian was talking about singing was also particularly funny. When Baby Doll replied, “Tell me about it” to Satine saying, “This corset hurts like hell, I’m all tied down,” were they making a drag queen joke about tucking? Let me know in my social media links below!

Rant(s)

Trumpets: The actors playing the trumpets should make it look more realistic.
“Shut Up and Dance” Song: I was pleasantly surprised to hear them include this Walk the Moon song in the Moulin Rouge! The Musical repertoire since it’s often played in my car playlist. But I was a little disappointed with the weak execution. I think it’s an inherant problem with the composition since the original Broadway cast recording of this song sounds weak too.

Other Thought(s)

Tuberculosis: As a healthcare professional especially in the COVID era, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Satine was just spreading her consumption to all her friends. Mask up gurl!
Sword Trick: What stage magic allowed the actors to swallow swords in the beginning? Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas!

Theatre Company: Broadway Across America Tour and Seattle Theatre Group

Venue: Paramount Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Expensive

Dates: Dec 14, 2022 – Jan 1, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you get closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, the usually park in the garage attached to the Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: There are additional picture under below video below.

@showsiveseen @moulinrougebway #jukebox #musical at the Paramount Theatre w/ @seattletheatregroup. #Ostentatious dazzling scenic design. #Fabulous costumes. Endless catchy modern pop culture song #mashups not in the movie. Dances set to exciting heart-pounding beats. Truth, beauty, freedom, love! Review: showsiveseen.com/2828 #bohemia #extravaganza #theatre #MoulinRouge ♬ original sound – Shows I’ve Seen

Courtney Reed and Conor Ryan in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Courtney Reed and David Harris in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Austin Durant and the cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Conor Ryan in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Courtney Reed in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Conor Ryan as Christian and Courtney Reed as Satine in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Harper Miles, Libby Lloyd, Nicci Claspell and Andres Quintero in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Gabe MartÍnez as Santiago and Libby Lloyd as Nini in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Conor Ryan as Christian, Gabe MartÍnez as Santiago, André Ward as Toulouse-Lautrec and Austin Durant as Harold Zidler in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

David Harris as The Duke of Monroth in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Adéa Michelle Sessoms and Jennifer Wolfe in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Courtney Reed as Satine in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

The Lightning Thief – The Percy Jackson Musical – Village Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at Village Theatre by developing youth actors. Interesting to see how a 6-7 person show works w/ 15 people. Favorite line was something like “He met a fury. No you’re a furry!” #percyJackson #greekMythology #musical #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can’t control, a destiny he doesn’t want, and a mythology textbook’s worth of monsters on his trail. When Zeus’s master lightning bolt is stolen and Percy becomes the prime suspect, he has to find and return the bolt to prove his innocence and prevent a war between the gods. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the thief. He must travel to the Underworld and back; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and come to terms with the father who abandoned him. Adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure “worthy of the gods” (Time Out New York). –Concord Theatricals

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it if you like supporting developing actors in high school. Many talented major Seattle actors participated in Village Theatre’s Kidstage program growing up. For example, I think the Kataka Corn, who played Dorothy (lead role) in 5th Ave Theatre’s The Wiz, is a Village Theatre Kidstage alumnus.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was an Equity production. This is actually the second time I’ve seen this musical. The first time was the national tour.

Equity Actors: 0

Length: 2 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Playbill: Loved their new upgraded glossy playbill. In the past, Village Theatre Kidstage productions didn’t print color graphics or actor headshots.
Favorite Actors: Powerful steady voice from Mia Basulto (Clarisse – Ares’ Daughter) and good acting from River DeJong (Ares/Gabe/Ensemble)

Other Thought(s)

Deviations from the Original Productions: Did the tour or original production refer to the Oracle as a “mummy?” I don’t remember that. Was the Medusa scene in the original productions or was that a new?

Theatre Company: Village Theatre Kidstage

Venue: Village Theatre First Stage

Venue Physical Address: 120 Front St N, Issaquah, WA 98027

Price: Cheap

Dates: December 2 to December 18, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Free street parking and free lot parking. If you park in the lot, make sure the spot is not reserved for a business. As a last resort, I think you can always find parking at the library (10 W Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027) but it’s a little far. Remember, there’s a bottom floor parking lot under the library’s main parking lot that most non-locals don’t know about.

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https://villagetheatre.org/shows/the-lightning-thief/

@showsiveseen "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson #Musical" at #VillageTheatre by developing youth actors. Interesting to see how a 6-7 person show works w/ 15 people. Favorite line was something like "He met a fury. No you're a furry!" Review: showsiveseen.com/2807 #percyJackson #greekMythology #theatre ♬ Drive – Chris McCarrell & Kristin Stokes & George Salazar & James Hayden Rodriguez & The Lightning Thief Company & Rob Rokicki

Humbug – Play – Renton Civic Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Humbug play at Renton Civic Theatre. Modern take of A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is a cutthroat career-obsessed woman. Terminator was the ghost of #Christmas future! #theatre #CharlesDickens #xmas

Synopsis from the Theatre: As A Christmas Carol with a modern-day twist, Humbug follows the story of Eleanor Scrooge, a ruthlessly ambitious Wall Street executive who has an aversion to Christmas and an insatiable appetite for power. Locked in her office on a snowy Christmas Eve, Eleanor is determined to finish a corporate-takeover proposal until three “advisors” provide her with an eye-opening new appreciation for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. An upbeat and moving adaptation of Dickens’ holiday classic, Humbug is one for the ages. With a contemporary flair, it is a tale the whole family will enjoy!

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Recommendation: See it if you like A Christmas Carol and you like supporting community theatre

Equity Actors: 0

Length: 75 minutes

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Favorite Line: When asked to help a man who collapsed, the ghost of Christmas present said “Back in my day we just bled em!”

Rant(s)

Scenic Design: I have a hard time believing the set depicted a 16th floor high rise office. It looked more like the first story of a building in historic downtown.

Theatre Company : Renton Civic Theatre

Venue: Renton Civic Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 507 S 3rd St, Renton, WA 98057

Price: Cheap

Dates: December 2 to December 17, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Free street parking – I usually park West of the theatre on Morris Ave.

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https://ci.ovationtix.com/35408/production/1123386

Other Video +/- Pictures: There are additional under below video

@showsiveseen “#Humbug” #play @ Renton Civic Theatre. Modern take on #AChristmasCarol where #Scrooge was a cutthroat career-obsessed woman. Terminator was the ghost of #Christmas future! Read More: showsiveseen.com/2776 #theatre #CharlesDickens #xmas ♬ Please Come Home For Christmas – Charles Brown

Austen Unbound – Improvised Play – Book-It Repertory Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Austen Unbound improv at Book-It Repertory Theatre. Hilarious parody-like ephemeral variations in Jane Austen’s signature style. The audience chose a play called “Tranquility & Travesty.” Impressive diction. Elizabeth Brammer was reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennett. All-knowing Elicia Wickstead was a hoot! Beautiful, #feminine, & warm scenic design/lighting. #improvisation #theatre #Regency

Synopsis from the Theatre: Austen Unbound is Book-It Repertory Theatre’s first long-form improvised play. At each performance of this show, the ensemble will create an entirely new story, set in the style and genre of the beloved author’s works. Audiences will feel like they are watching a play based off a never-before published Jane Austen novel, as the improvisational actors transport them to the drawing rooms and manor houses of the Regency era. The wit and wisdom of Jane Austen will resonate with audiences as they experience new characters and stories in this “unscripted” play, which will be a unique story each night (based on suggestions given from the audience). There is nothing better in the darkening days of late Fall than a little romance, a little fantasy, and little escape. Jane Austen gives contemporary audiences just that, and improvisation brings fun to a whole new level. With the world still reeling from crisis, we feel a show that embodies the juxtaposition of order and structure, which the Regency is famous for, with the unplanned and inspired, which improv allows us, is the perfect way to get us ready to head into the holiday season.

Reviewed Performance: 12/8 Evening

Type: Improvised Play

World Premiere: Technically, every performance in this improvised play is a world premiere!

Recommendation: See it if you’ve read a Jane Austen book or seen a movie/show based on her book. You might also enjoy this if you like Downton Abbey.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: I’m very curious to see how they would improvise another major author’s style like Agatha Christie.

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

Equity Actors: 4 out of 8 – Some of the non-Equity actors had better performances (or roles?) than some of the Equity actors!

Length: 90 minutes

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Favorite Line: “He spoke two languages: Spanish and dance.”
Twirl: It was hilarious how they were marveling over how fast and heady the new dance move was. It was basically a regular twirl.
Humor: The play was so funny that the actors were close to breaking character in a fit of laughter.
Diction: Some of the actors must be voracious Regency novels readers. Their word choices were very fitting for Jane Austen’s style. I can’t believe Nathan Cox was able to fit in “apiary” in his dialogue!
Actor Highlights: I’m amazed at how Elizabeth Brammer assimilated long Jane Austen-esqe soliloquies on the spot while frequently using the audience-chosen words. Elicia Wickstead as the all-knowing aunt was a hoot! When Kyle Henick asked an audience member before the second act who they wanted to see first, they immediately said “the aunt!”
Scenic Design: Sparse but very elegant and well-lit.

Other Thought(s)

Stiffness: One of the actor’s performance was stiff literally (in gait) and figuratively (in speech). I couldn’t determine if this was intentional or not. Are Jane Austen’s male characters typically this stiff?
Possibility of Audience Plant: Each performance is different based on audience responses. In the beginning, Kyle Henick asked the audience to choose a letter then choose 2 words that Jane Austen would use. The audience chose “T” then “tranquility” and “travesty.” So the actors performed a play called “Tranquility and Travesty” (like Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice) and the actors mentioned those words frequently throughout the play. It made me wonder if there were plants in the audience to shout out words. What if the audience yelled out words that weren’t Jane Austen-like such as “technology” and “tropical?”
Degree of Improvisation: I could tell this was improvised since actors sometimes nearly broke character in laughter. But I find it hard to believe the entire play was improvised … if it was, then color me impressed! For example, surely they at least practiced the dance. And I feel like many of the Jane Austen tropes had to be pre-discussed. The skeleton outline of scenes or events must have also been been pre-planned to make a cohesive story right? Leave me a comment in my social media links below on your thoughts!
Impermanence: Sadly, improv plays are meant to be ephemeral in nature. The performance I saw will not be the same as the performance you’ll see. I guess that’s part of the magic of live theatre!

Theatre Company : Book-It Repertory Theatre

Venue: Center Theatre at Seattle Center Armory

Venue Physical Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium

Dates: November 30 to December 18, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking or paid lot/garage parking. I usually like to park on the street near the skating park (313 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109) East of the theatre.

Social Media Posts About this Performance from Shows I’ve Seen:
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Other Video +/- Pictures: Pictures in video and under below video are by Anthony Floyd Photography.

@showsiveseen “#Austen Unbound” #improv at #BookIt Repertory Theatre. Hilarious #parody-like ephemeral variations in #JaneAusten‘s signature style. The audience chose a #play called “Tranquility & Travesty.” Impressive diction. Elizabeth Brammer was reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennett. All-knowing Elicia Wickstead was a hoot! Beautiful, #feminine, & warm scenic design/lighting. Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/2735 #improvisation #theatre ♬ Menuet No. 5, Op. 11 – The Jane Austen Era

Shanna Allman, Elizabeth Brammer, Cynthia Lair

A Christmas Story – Play – Tacoma Little Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Christmas Story play (based on the movie) at Tacoma Little Theatre . Funny narration, delightful Randy, & cool rotating stage. “You’ll shoot your eye out!” #xmas #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940’s follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus himself. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” All the elements from the beloved movie are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; and Ralphie’s father winning a leg lamp.

Reviewed Performance: 12/10 Evening

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Recommendation: See it if either 1) you like traditional family-friendly Christmas plays 2) or you like the original movie.

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

Equity Actors: 0

Length: 2 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Favorite Line: Something like “Are you Democrat or Republican? I’m Presbyterian.”

Rant(s)

Santa: Santa was hidden inside a department store North Pole set so the audience never saw him but we heard his voice.

Other Thought(s)

Relatability: The script didn’t seem very relatable to POCs or younger theatre-goers like myself. Maybe I’d feel differently if I moved to the Midwest.

Theatre Company : Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403

Price: Cheap

Dates: December 2 – 24, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors have a free parking lot access agreement.

Social Media Posts About this Performance from Shows I’ve Seen:
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https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/blog/20222023/xmasstory

Other Video +/- Pictures: Pictures in video and under below video are by Dennis K Photography.

@showsiveseen "A #Christmas Story" #play (based on the movie) at @tacomalittletheatre. Funny narration, delightful Randy, & cool rotating stage. "You’ll shoot your eye out!" Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/2703 #xmas #theatre ♬ I'm Gonna Be the First One (PCM Stereo Version) – Harry Connick Jr.