Musicals – Page 32 – Shows I've Seen

Moulin Rouge! The Musical – Paramount Theatre

@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

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.

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

Q Brothers Christmas Carol – Musical – ArtsWest

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Q Brothers Christmas Carol hip hop musical at ArtsWest. Clever lyrics. Funny cast doubling. Loved the pitiful gangsta Tiny Tim segments. Chriss-my-ass-mas! #theatre #rap #christmas #xmas #CharlesDickens #Scrooge #AChristmasCarol

Synopsis from the Theatre: In this hip-hop remix of Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present, and Future…and a Jamaican Jacob Marley. As Scrooge is shown the path of rhythm and redemption, will he throw off his selfish chains and join the beat? Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL mixes everything from reggae to rock, updating and funkifying this beloved tale of love, forgiveness, and Christmas spirit – and transforming it into something altogether new.

Reviewed Performance: 12/1 Evening

Type: Hip Hop (or Rap?) Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: No

Recommendation: See it if 1) you’re familiar with A Christmas Carol, 2) you want to see something different than the traditional play of this story, 3) and you like Hamilton, rap, or hip hop.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: I’d be curious to see Q Brothers from Chicago perform this.

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

Equity Actors: 0 but they were all good

Length: 85 mins

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Set and Scenic Design: I’m surprised this is the first time I’ve seen a show set designed like a department store. It reminded me of Target. However, the story only briefly took place at the department store. Side note, someone should really make play or musical with the story staged mostly in a department store.
Tiny Tim: I’m actually not a fan of the Tiny Tim character in the book or traditional plays. He’s usually portrayed as too cute, too sentimental, and too pitiful, which I find really annoying. Similarly, Gretl von Trapp from the Sound of Music annoys me too. I LOVED how this musical poked fun of the traditional Tiny Tip portrayal and depicted him as a pitiful hard rapper in a plush gangsta coat w/ a cane instead of a crutch.
Belle and Young Scrooge: The romantic scenes with Belle and Ben (aka eBENnezer Scrooge) were hilarious especially the parody “Let’s Get Fiscal” instead of the Olivia Newton-John song “Let’s Get Physical.”
Ghost Light: I don’t know if it was intentional but it was cleaver using a theatre ghost light-looking prop as part of the ghost of Christmas past segment.
Scrooge Dances: It looked cool when the spirits used their magic to make Scrooge dance

Rant(s)

Pitch: In the first number, I could hear someone going out of pitch, which worried me for what was in store for the rest of the show. Fortunately, those pitch issues eventually resolved after that opening number when the lyrics became more rap-like. Or maybe the offender just needed one song to warm up their voice.
Accompaniment: A live band would significantly elevate this show. Had I known that there was no live band, I might not have given this show a chance since pre-recorded accompaniment tends to make musicals more karaoke-like. Plus, I can usually hear when the singers aren’t in-sync with the recorded accompaniment as opposed to a live band making impromptu timing adjustments to follow the singer’s rhythm. Despite the recorded accompaniment, I did not notice these two common problems in this show, and I have no regrets attending. It probably helped that the music was hip hop (or rap?) which tends to have more synthesized sounds that don’t typically require a traditional musical band. Plus, rappers tend to focus more on rhythm than typical singers in a musical, so synchronization problems are probably less.

Other Thought(s)

Burp: Will someone leave me a comment in my social media links below telling me what the burping thing was in the Cratchit household? Was it their youngest baby? Were they talking about eating it? Thanks Corinne (@tigersandgold) and Hannah (@paintastory) for clarifying in Instagram. Yes, the burps were from their other kid and yes they were talking about eating him. LOL, weird!
Christmas Light Necklace: There were Christmas light necklaces (see my video below) placed on random chairs. It’s a fun idea but I was a little confused if we were supposed to wear them during the performance, turn them on during the last number, turn them on after the “curtain call,” and/or or take them home as a gift, etc. Let me know your ideas on the intention in my social media comment links below! I think the most fun scenario would have been for the performers to tell the audience during the last song “Let me see your lights yall! If you don’t have a necklace, wave your phones in the air!” or something.

Theatre Company : ArtsWest

Venue: ArtsWest

Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116

Price: Cheap to Medium – They have easy pay-what-you-can options in the online ticketing portal so you don’t need to shamefully verbally tell the box office you can’t afford regular-priced tickets.

Dates: November 25 – December 23, 2022

Seating: Assigned

Parking: There are paid lots and free street parking. I usually park on 44th or 45th Ave behind the theatre.

Social Media Posts About this Performance from Shows I’ve Seen: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

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https://www.artswest.org/theatre-plays/q-brothers-christmas-carol/

@showsiveseen #QBrothers #ChristmasCarol #hipHop #musical at #ArtsWest. Clever lyrics. Funny cast doubling. Loved the pitiful gangsta #TinyTim segments. Chriss-my-ass-mas! Review: showsiveseen.com/2519 #theatre #rap #christmas #xmas #CharlesDickens #Scrooge #AChristmasCarol ♬ It’s Christmas Time (feat. Dan Caplen) – Macklemore

The Wiz – Musical – 5th Ave Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Wiz musical at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Well-cast Dorothy. Groovy gospel-like tunes. Stunning voices. Elaborate/colorful set, hair, & costumes. Retro vibe. Uncommon stage floorplan often put actors 3 ft away from us at the front row! “Ease on down the road” & buy your tickets to this awesome show! #Oz #WizardofOz #black #POC #BiPOC

Synopsis from the Theatre: Feel the power of love overflowing at this dazzling reimagining of The Wizard of Oz! With a soaring soul, R&B, and gospel score featuring hit songs “Brand New Day,” “Ease on Down the Road,” and “Home,” this fun, fresh 5th Avenue Theatre production is a hit the whole family will enjoy. When Dorothy finds herself in the fantastical world of Oz, she sets out to seek the aid of the mysterious Wiz, forging powerful new friendships with a Scarecrow, a Tinman, and a Lion along her way down the yellow brick road. But when she battles the devious Evillene to save her new friends, she learns that no matter where you’re from, home isn’t really where you live; it’s who you love. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, The Wiz is an effervescent explosion of music, dance, magic, and delight. Don’t miss this 5th Avenue Theatre original staging!

Reviewed Performance: 11/27 Evening – Opening Night

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it … period!

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Absolutely. I wish I had time this holiday season to see it again.

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

Equity Actors: All of them

Length: 2.25 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Voices: The main characters’ voices were out of this world! There was Shaunyce Omar’s booming voice as the wicked witch of the West. Innocent Dorothy (Kataka Corn) surprised me with her powerful upper register. Be Russel easily handled the vocal range of the Wiz role, which was originally written for a man. Her real life sister (Sarah Russel) and Trina Mills easily wowed the audience with their belt as the witches of the North and South.
Stage Floorplan: The mainstage rotates like in Hamilton. There was a thin horizontal catwalk-like portion downstage in front of the orchestra to allow the actors closer access to the audience.
Cowardly Lion: Nate Tenenbaum was such a delight with his fierce walk, cat licks, tail twirling, and screams.
Toto: Nessa was such a well-trained dog. She “stayed” and sat quietly on-stage while watching the actors reciting their lines. I wish she were in more scenes though.
Favorite Lines: There were too many of them. “You’re the best wicked witch killer in this country,” “Girl, I’m gonna wear white to the funeral,” “If you don’t have STP, Crisco will do just fine,” “Owls don’t give answers. They just ask questions. Like Whoo?”
Gospel Music: The gospel influence on the musical score was wild! You could hear it in “Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice),” “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News,” and “Born On The Day Before Yesterday.”
Scenic Design: The set was impressively ostentatious especially the Wiz’s throne room and the Emerald City.
Kalidahs: The red eyes reminded me of Cylons from Battlestar Galactica.

Rant(s)

Cold: My companion and I were freezing! I ended up wearing my wool top coat and donning my mittens. It shouldn’t be that cold for a show that can cost up to $180 per ticket for premium seats.
Set Movement: Minor pet peeve here. There was one scene in the end where the actors had to push two large set pieces towards the back of the stage. It would be less distracting if backstage workers could pull the set pieces so the audience doesn’t see this work.

Other Thought(s)

Twister Scene: There was an actress dressed in gold during the twister scene. I think she represented the eye of the twister. If that’s true, she needs to do more twirling to show that she’s the twister. If she wasn’t the twister, let me know in the comments of my social media posts below!
Tap Dance: I love watching tap dance in musicals. While I appreciated the tap dances in this show, it was mainly just the tin man performing them solo. I suggest the tap dances be more group than solo.

Theatre Company : 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue: 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Medium to Expensive to Really Expensive

Dates: November 20 to December 23, 2022

Seating: Assigned

Parking: When I don’t walk to the theatre, I park in the paid garage at the Motif hotel NW of the theatre. The entrance is on 5th Ave. Do NOT park in the Hilton garage (entrance on 6th ave). That’s where most of the audience parks so it’s a nightmare to leave. However, the Hilton garage is the closest garage to the theatre and it has underground access to the theatre if you wanted to avoid the elements. But this benefit is not worth it in my opinion.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: There are pictures under the video below.

@showsiveseen #TheWiz #musical at 5th Avenue #Theatre. Well-cast Dorothy @katakamackenziecorn. #Groovy gospel-like tunes. #Stunning voices. #Elaborate/#colorful set, hair, & costumes. #Retro vibe. Uncommon stage floorplan often put actors 3 ft away from us at the front row! “Ease on down the road” & buy your tickets to this awesome show! Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/2428 #Oz #WizardofOz #black #POC #BiPOC ♬ A Brand New Day – Shanice Williams & Elijah Kelley & David Alan Grier & Ne-Yo & Original Television Cast of the Wiz LIVE!

Nate Tenenbaum as Lion (foreground) and Phillip Attmore as Tinman and Kataka Corn as Dorothy (background)
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Kataka Corn (they/them) stars as Dorothy in The Wiz
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Nehemiah Hooks as Scarecrow, Kataka Corn as Dorothy, and the cast of The Wiz
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Sarah Russell as Addaperle and the cast of The Wiz
Photo Credit: Tracy Martin

The cast of The Wiz
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Shauynce Omar as Evillene in The Wiz at The 5th Avenue Theatre
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Nate Tenenbaum (Lion), Kataka Corn (Dorothy), Be Russell (The Wiz), Nehemiah Hooks (Scarecrow), Phillip Attmore (Tinman) and the cast of The Wiz
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

(Dorothy), Trina Mills (Glinda), and the cast of The Wiz at The 5th Avenue Theatre
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Cabaret – Musical – Cornish College of the Arts

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Cabaret the musical sold out at Cornish College of the Arts. Novel immersive stage. Well-cast Cliff actor. Good ensemble, Emcee, & Sally too. #musical #theatre #Cabaret

Synopsis from the Theatre: In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920’s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. Musical numbers include “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Two Ladies.”

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it especially if you like to support student actors. Unfortunately, this production already completed its run though. Also, the entire run was sold out at least 2 weeks before opening night. The only possible way to see a performance was through the waitlist.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Always. I’ve probably seen 5 separate productions of this show. One of them was the professional tour.

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

Equity Actors: None

Length: 2.5-2.75 hours

Intermission: Yes

Rant(s)

Cell Phone Check-in: I was completely baffled when they asked the audience to check-in their cell phone before entering the performance space. A theatre has never asked me to do that … and I’ve attended more than 360 shows since 2017. It didn’t help that my cell phone case also incidentally included my pen so I was unable my write down more impressions of the performance for my review.
Set Movement: The frequent set movement and audience re-seating was a bit distracting.
Vocal Range: There were 1-2 male performers who couldn’t reach the high notes. Consequently, they sounded a little off-key. Also, there were 1-2 female performers who could barely reach the low notes. Consequently, the audience couldn’t hear them.
Character Age: Drama schools students tend to be young in their twenties, late teens, or even thirties. So, it’s difficult to appropriately cast someone in middle-aged or senior character roles. I suggest drama schools either 1) choose performance pieces that don’t contain major characters older than 40 years old, 2) invest heavily in makeup/wardrobe, 3) or recruit a non-student actor to perform these roles. I personally like option 3 the best. For example, UW School of Drama recruited alumnus Malcolm West in this year’s production of Father Comes Home from the Wars.

Other Thought(s)

Audience Participation: The website said “This production is an immersive experience and will include and encourage audience participation” which made me a little nervous they’d want me to get up and dance. When it comes to theatre, I’d rather sit and (at most) clap. Theatre “pillow princess” here. 😛 In actuality, the actors thankfully didn’t goad the audience to participate much more than a traditional non-immersive performance.
Immersive Theatre: One of the limitations of immersive, 360 degree, or arena theatre is that the audience doesn’t always see everything. There was a scene in the second act where the audience kept looking at a back wall near the entrance where I couldn’t see. Queue the FOMO! Leave me a comment on the social media links below to tell me what I’ve missed.

Theatre Company : Cornish College of the Arts

Venue: Skinner Theatre at Raisbeck Performance Hall

Venue Physical Address: 2015 Boren Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Price: Cheap

Dates: November 17 to 20, 2022 – I would have prioritized this review earlier if the college gave me a press ticket. But apparently, they don’t encourage reviewers, which baffled me. In my opinion, “there is no such thing as bad publicity!”

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Street parking (sometimes free) usually available within 3 blocks from the theatre. There’s also various paid parking lots in the area. This part of downtown is closer to South Lake Union neighborhood so it’s not that busy.

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Cast and Production Team: See under the multimedia below.

Other Video +/- Pictures:

@showsiveseen #Cabaret the #Musical sold out at #Cornish College of the Arts. Novel #immersive stage. Well-cast Cliff (Elias Capestany). Good ensemble, Emcee (@anteiadelaney), & Sally (Adia Beaulieu) too. Review: showsiveseen.com/2201 #theatre ♬ Perfectly Marvelous – Natasha Richardson & John Benjamin Hickey

Role	Name
Sally Bowles	Adia Beaulieu
Helga/Fight Captain	Allison Renee Heath (u/s Schneider)
Emcee	Anteia DeLaney
Max/Hans/Sailor	Carolyn Scherbinske
Fraulein Fritze Kost	Coco Justino
Cliff Bradshaw	Elias Capestany
Victor/Dance Captain	Elizabeth Blackmun
Herr Schultz	Fisher
Rosie	Genna Dow (u/s Sally)
Frenchie	Gennavieve Smith
Customs Officer/Herman/Sailor	Grace Andresen (u/s Ernst)
Fraulein Schneider	Hayley Martin
Lulu	Madison Neal (u/s Kost)
Texas	Maggie Reichgott (u/s Schultz)
Ensemble	Oliver Munguia (u/s Will, Theo, Carolyn, Gray) Olivia Sheaffer (u/s Genna, Madison, Gennavieve, Allie, Maggie)
Ernst	Tagen Mathews
Sailor	Tony Caraveo (u/s Emcee)
Bobby	Will Ehrlich (u/s Cliff)
—	—
Upright Bass	Jon Butler
Drummer	Enzo Periera
Alto Sax	David Volpini
Pianist	Rich Gray
—	—
Book Author	Joe Masterof (Based on the lay by John Van Druten & stories by Christopher Isherwood)
Composer	John Kander
Lyricist	Fred Ebb
Director	Kathryn Van Meter
Stage Manager	Emily Grierson
Music Directors	Rich Gray & Danny Kam
Choreographer	Nicole Beerman
Sound Designer	Sandra Menjivar
Lighting Designer	Gwen Cubbage
Scenic Designer	Christopher Mumaw
Costume Designer	Isabella L. Price
Assistant Director	Tony Caraveo
Props Manager	Jessica Christensen
Technical Director	Matthew McCarren
Assistant Music Director	David Volpini
Fight Choreographer	Geof Alm
Intimacy Director	Sarah Harlett
Assistant Choreographer	Gennavieve Smith
Dialect/Vocal Coach	Kate Myre
Scenic Designer	Christopher Mumaw
Assistant Stage Manager	Sema Serifsoy-DiFalco
Costume Assistant	Ella Swenson
Assistant Dialect Coach	Elizabeth Blackmun Carolyn Scherbinske
Dramaturg	Maggie Reichgott
Deck Crew	Sam Ingram Olivia Freeman
Followspot Operator	Ella Accacia
Deck Crew	Charlotte Seaver
Visual & Performing Arts Production Manager	Gavin Yehle
Scene Shop Supervisor	Matthew McCarren
Theater Dept. Faculty Chair	Sheila Daniels
Props & Paint Supervisor	Jessica Christensen
Cabaret Faculty Liaison	Robin Lynn Smith
TH 147 Instructor	Amy LaZerte
Costume Shop Supervisor & Practicum Costume Advisor	Carl Bronsdon
Director of CSES	Pinky Estell
TH/PP Department Coordinator	Rachel Brinn
CSES Technical Supervisor	Marc Mixon