Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Together Again, Again! – Review – Cabaret Drag Show – Seattle Rep

@showsiveseen "Together Again, Again" #cabaret #drag show at @Seattle Rep. An aged @Jinkx Monsoon & #majorScales bury the hatchet & reunite one last time decades into the future after an alien apocalypse! Closes this weekend. #lgbt #gay #dragShow #showsiveseen #theatre #camp #campy #pride Review: showsiveseen.com/8701 Photos: Nate Watters Stage Manager: @Shay Trusty ♬ Creep – Jinkx Monsoon

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Together Again, Again cabaret drag show at Seattle Rep. An aged Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales bury the hatchet & reunite one last time several decades into the future after an alien apocalypse! Closes this weekend. #lgbt #gay #dragShow #camp #campy #pride

Recommendation
See it if you enjoy drag or cabaret.


Synopsis from the Theatre: They’re getting too old for this skit. The year is 2065. The sun has exploded, a dystopian nightmare has been realized, and the world has been taken over by aliens. Aging stars Jinkx Monsoon (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and Major Scales aren’t on the best of terms, but decide to put their falling-out behind them for a final reunion extravaganza. From the creators of 2014’s crowd favorite The Vaudevillians, experience the comedy, music, and saucy stylings of two of the Pacific Northwest’s standout entertainers.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 6/5/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Buy your tickets now since the show run ends this weekend.

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: One or two scenes

Several or Few Settings/Locations: One – a stage

Static (Stationary) Set? Yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: Yes, there were several references to celebrities and other drag queens. You’d probably enjoy this show more if you follow RuPaul’s Drag Race TV show.

Defined Plot/Storyline: No

Live Band/Orchestra: Major Scales played the piano and there was some background recording.

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 2

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 100 minutes

Was there an intermission? No

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

  • Singing: I find it refreshing when drag queens don’t lip sync and actually sing well. As a musical show lover, they won me over with an opening “Hello Jinkx-y!” (inspired by Hello Dolly!) and a cute “(You’re) Timeless To Me” rendition (from Hairspray).

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Drag Resemblance: Jinkx Monsoon’s aged portrayal reminded me of Adele, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, and Bette Midler’s Winifred Sanderson witch from the Hocus Pocus movie.

Theatre Company: Seattle Rep

Venue: Bagley Wright Theater at Seattle Rep

Venue Physical Address: 155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Starts at $50

Tickets: https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202324-season/together-again-again/

Ticket Affordability Options: See the theatre’s official pages about discounts and pay-what-you-can performances

Dates: May 31 to June 23, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also plentiful street parking around Safeway. If there’s an event in Seattle Center or Climate Pledge Arena, street parking is usually limited and much more expensive.

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Pictures: See pictures below and in video above by Nate Watters.

Major Scales and Jinkx Monsoon in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters.
Major Scales and Jinkx Monsoon in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters.
Jinkx Monsoon in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters
Major Scales in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters.
Jinkx Monsoon in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters
Jinkx Monsoon in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters
Jinkx Monsoon in Together Again, Again! (2024). Photo by Nate Watters

House of Hearts – Dinner Show – Can Can Culinary Cabaret

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): House of Hearts burlesque cabaret show at Can Can Culinary Cabaret. Very Moulin Rouge w/ all the luxurious red velvet trappings/tapestry. New larger (but still intimate) venue since the last time I saw a show here in 2019.

Synopsis from the Theatre: All peace is disrupted in the Land of Broken Hearts when Queen Astral’s daughter, Aurora (Shadou Mintrone), falls in love with the town fool, Puck (Jonathan Betchtel), at the Broken Hearts Ball, the fastidious annual gathering where speaking or feeling love is forever banned and punishable by death. Luna (Jasmine Jean Sim) tries to contain the peace and order by convincing the Queen to have mercy and a change of heart to reverse the archaic laws she once created that would subject her very own daughter to death. When the chaos unravels, will the love escape the grasp of the Queen’s tortured past and prevail to save her very own daughter? Your presence at the House of Hearts will reveal the answers to these curiosities and more.

Reviewed Performance: 1/19/23

Type: Dinner Cabaret Show

World Premiere: Likely – I think most of their shows are produced new in-house

Awards: None, which is expected for world premieres

Defined Plot/Storyline: Like most dinner shows, there was no well-defined plot. The story was more of a framework for each act.

Live Band/Orchestra: No

Recommendation: See it if you like burlesque, cabaret, Teatro ZinZanni, Triple Door (especially Verlaine & McCann), or dinner shows.

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: This is the first time I saw this production, but I previously saw Bon Bon at their previous location years ago.

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

Equity Actors: Not tracked in shows like this

Length: Less than 90 minutes

Intermission: There were two 5-10 minute intermissions

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Energy: Kudos to Puck (Jonathan Betchtel) the jester for his energy emceeing the show … on a Thursday nonetheless!
  • Cabaret Musical Song: This show included singing and I was pleasantly surprised to hear them perform the classic song “Don’t Tell Mama” from the Cabaret musical. It was very fitting for a show like this.
  • Jester in Training: Puck picked a cute guy Noah from the audience to be his jester-in-training. Surprisingly, Noah was a really good sport about it and even had some moves.

Rant(s)

  • Bass: Call me an old fart, but the bass was too loud.
  • View: While their new venue ads more seats in the house, some seats now have a poorer view. I don’t recommend sitting far away from the center … no matter how inviting the cozy corner table looks! You’ll miss the view from the other side of the room. The show started at 7PM but they recommended you arrive at 6-6:30 PM for better seats. Don’t worry, you can order/eat food and drinks while you wait for the show to start.

Theatre Company: Can Can Culinary Cabaret

Venue: Can Can Culinary Cabaret

Venue Physical Address: 95 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Medium Expensive

Ticket Affordability Options: I couldn’t find any but that’s expected for dinner shows since they’re usually for-profit unlike traditional play/musical theatres.

Dates: January 12 to March 26, 2023

Seating: General admission that is assigned by a host(ess) like in a restaurant. You can also purchase upgraded tickets to guarantee a better seat.

Parking: I usually walk or transit anywhere near Pike Place Market. Street parking is typically difficult around here. I think the cheapest evening garage lot is Pike Place garage (1531 Western Ave P, Seattle, WA 98101).

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Nate Watters

Cast and Production Team: See below pictures

@showsiveseen "House of Hearts" #burlesque #cabaret show at @cancanseattle. Very #MoulinRouge w/ all the luxurious red velvet trappings. New larger (but still intimate) venue since the last time I saw a show here in 2019. Review: showsiveseen.com/3406 #CanCan ♬ Cancan – As des As
NameRole
Jonathan Betchtel Puck
Shadou Mintrone Aurora
Jasmine Jean Sim Luna
Richard Peacock Queen Astral
Sasha Voyt Persia
Chris Pink Artistic Director and Founder
Fae PinkChoreographer
Jonathan Betchtel Co-Producer and Emcee
Shadou Mintrone Co-Producer and Costumes
Fae Pink & Dave Pezzner Soundtrack
Robert Matos Lighting and Sound Production
Jerena Layacan and Britta Baer-SimonLight and Sound Technician
Robert Aguilar Lighting Designer
Nate Watters Photography
Vicente T. Capala lll Videography, Graphic Design and Marketing

Land Of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker – Show – Verlaine & McCann

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Land Of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker by Lily Verlaine & Jasper McCann @ The Triple Door. Stunning costumes (that came off). Impressive dance skill/choreography. Titillating risque glamorous alternative to the same tired old family friendly traditional Christmas shows. Swinging jazz band alone is worth the admission.#ballet #xmas

Synopsis from the Theatre: Seattle’s “Most Glamorous Holiday Tradition” returns to the Triple Door for its sixteenth astounding season! Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann are elated to announce the return of their award-winning wintertime spectacle, Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker. Voted “The Best Burlesque In Western Washington” (King 5), Land Of The Sweets has delighted tens of thousands of holiday revelers since 2006. All your favorite characters will be back, including Lily Verlaine’s Sugar Plum Fairy, the light-juggling magic of Babette La Fave, the ever-lovable Snowflakes… and of course the swinginest band in the Land, The Nutcracker Nonette! Not content to rest on their laurels, Verlaine & McCann have been working tirelessly to make 2022’s season memorable and electrifying for our new and returning guests. The cast will feature a number of fresh new faces this year (some from the most recent production of Verlaine & McCann’s Through The Looking Glass) to kick up their heels with superstar veterans like Paris Original and Viola Vector. And who knows… you might be in the audience to see a surprise appearance by a Seattle ballet star in a rotating cavalcade of Rat Kings! Lots of other surprises await… so prepare to be enchanted by Land Of The Sweets like never before! We can’t wait to see all our family, fans, and friends this holiday season for the production that Seattle Metropolitan Magazine calls “December’s best date night”! With 29 performances, tickets will go fast… Come “Swing in the Season” and celebrate the holidays with us!

Reviewed Performance: 12/7 Opening Night

Type: Burlesque Show

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes, with a big band feel of the big city!

Recommendation: See it if either 1) you like burlesque 2) you’re tired of the same old basic traditional family friendly boring Christmas shows like The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol 3) or you want to see a spectacle to accompany your food/drinks and live music.

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

Equity Actors: N/A but they were all very good. I don’t think they typically track this for non-plays or non-musicals.

Length: 2 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Reverse Burlesque: Usually you see clothes come off in burlesque. There was a neat act (maybe “The Baroness of Bon-Bons?”) that performed the opposite where they started with a woman in only pasties and dressed her up.
  • Favorite Line: Something like “Rats, mice, shoes, oh my! Sounds like a Disney movie with a fetish.”
  • Nutcracker Ballet Influence: The live band songs were derived from melodies in the traditional Tchaikovsky Nutcracker ballet suite. They should really sell a recording of their songs. The music in my video below is similar to what you’ll hear in this show. Additionally, the choreographer Lily Verlaine incorporated ballet heavily into this performance to still maintain that Nutcracker feel.
  • Bullfighter Act: Very cute segment of the show
  • Emcee: Joel Domenico occasionally sang throughout the show with his golden voice.
  • Inclusivity: In true Seattle fashion, the show also included a man in drag and a woman who wasn’t pencil thin.

Rant(s)

  • Mask: Was it really necessary for the emcee to wear a mask when he walked throughout the audience to sing? He wasn’t really protecting himself if he didn’t wear an N95. And it wasn’t worth protecting the audience since most of the waiters were already unmasked. Plus, I’d venture to say 90% of the audience was already unmasked since they were drinking and eating. For the record, I’m not an anti-masker and I actually still wear an N95 in most performances that don’t require the audience to mask up since getting sick would mess up by busy theatre schedule, which has lately been 4-5 shows per week.
  • Tap Dance Shoes: I’m always ecstatic when I see a tap dance number like this show had. But I was a little disappointed to discover the dancers in the tap dance act weren’t wearing tap shoes. If the dancers were wearing tap shoes, they need to figure out a way to make them louder. A part of me thinks a tap dance segment isn’t worth performing if the audience can’t hear the clickety clack.
  • Triple Door Service and Food: My vegan pad thai arrived a little cold and a bit too wet. It’s also a hard to get a waiter’s attention during the show. I suggest Triple Door invest in call buttons like those installed on airplanes or dine-in movie theatres.

Other Thought(s)

  • Snow Stage Magic: How did the 3 snowflake dancers continue to create snow from their hands? I think they pulled it from the frills of their dresses but doesn’t that destroy the dress? Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas! Someone on Instagram told me that there are actually pockets in the backsides of their dresses that they pull snow out of. Someone in the stage crew gets the glamorous job of stuffing snow back into the dancers’ butt pockets before the dancers go on stage!
  • Seattle Tradition: Since this show has been produced since 2006, I imagine it could be Seattle’s answer to the NYC tradition of seeing Radio City Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular during the holiday season.
  • Seatmate: I thought it was hilarious that the guy who sat next to me assumed he was attending the traditional Nutcracker Ballet. Imagine his surprise when he saw pasties and thongs! But he still enjoyed the show.

Theatre Company : Verlaine and McCann

Venue: Triple Door

Venue Physical Address: 216 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Expensive

Dates: December 7th – 30th, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: I usually walk or transit here. The Benaroya (University Street) lightrail station is only a block away. Other than that, there’s obviously paid garage/street parking since this venue is in downtown. I think the cheapest garage lot is generally the Russell Investments Center garage (1301 2nd Ave #1950, Seattle, WA 98101).

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under below video.

@showsiveseen “Land of the Sweets: The #Burlesque #Nutcracker” by Lily Verlaine & Jasper McCann @ The Triple Door. Stunning costumes (that came off). Impressive #dance skill/choreography/athleticism. #Titillating #risque #sexy #glamorous alternative to the same tired old family-friendly traditional #Christmas shows. Swinging jazz band alone is worth the admission. Review: showsiveseen.com/2648 #ballet #xmas ♬ The Nutcracker Swing – OKTAVA. VU Pučiamųjų Orkestras / VU Wind Orchestra & Albinas Kučinskas

Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland – Burlesque Show – Verlaine & McCann Present

“Though the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland” cabaret variety dinner show by Verlaine & McCann at The Triple Door. Pasties galore! Even had some singing. Favorite numbers were the cat & the butterfly metamorphosis. Crowd was on fire! #vaudeville #AliceInWonderland

Type: Burlesque Show

Recommendation: See it if you’re into burlesque or cabaret.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Theater Company: Verlaine & McCann Present

Venue: The Triple Door

Price: $$ (Medium)

Dates: September 21 – 25, 2022

Seating: Assigned

Linkhttps://www.verlaineandmccann.com/landofthesweets-1 and https://thetripledoor.net/

@showsiveseen “Though the Looking Glass: The #Burlesque Alice in #Wonderland#cabaret #variety #dinnerShow at #TripleDoor w/ Verlaine & McCann Present. #Pasties galore! Even had some singing. Favorite numbers were the cat & the butterfly metamorphosis. Crowd was on fire! #vaudeville #AliceInWonderland ♬ Burlesque style big band orchestra music(370715) – Newtrick