Plays – Page 6 – Shows I've Seen

Preview Post – Blues for an Alabama Sky – Play – Seattle Rep & The Hansberry Project

Congrats to Seattle Rep & The Hansberry Project on the opening weekend of their Blues for an Alabama Sky play production. Closes 2/23/25. More to come in my full review! #harlem

Tickets: https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202425-season/blues-for-an-alabama-sky/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/blues-for-an-alabama-sky-play-review-seattle-rep-and-the-hansberry-project/

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Gold – Play – Review – Annex Theatre

@showsiveseen Marcus Gorman's "Gold" #play at Annex Theatre. Starring Rebekah Nachman. Good multiple character portrayal by Sophie J. Sen. Adventurous dive into grandpa's little black book. Only 4 more performances before it closes next weekend! Review: showsiveseen.com/11402 Photos: Sayed Alamy & Laura Johnston Director: @Jasmine Joshua Stage Mgr: Kristin Brown #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ Wander On – Jeddy Knox

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Marcus Gorman’s Gold play at Annex Theatre. Good multiple character portrayal by Sophie J. Sen. Adventurous dive into grandpa’s little black book. Only 4 more performances before it closes next weekend!

Recommendation:
See it if you’re Jewish or you want to support new works.

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No

Mainstream Appeal: Low to medium

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Frankie’s grandpa died and left her a mysterious little black book that kept score of all his sexual affairs. Determined to learn more about her background, she embarks on a journey across the country to meet the mistresses who were part of his secret past.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: When 19-year-old Frankie inherits her late grandfather’s little black book, she goes on a cross-country road trip to meet his mistresses. As she and her college bestie travel across the United States and through decades of her family’s secret history, she learns not just who her grandfather truly was…but also a key to her own identity. GOLD is a funny and relatable drama about what we leave behind. And also, some psychedelic dinosaurs.

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Union Actors: 0

Total Actors: 6

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

The Women: Sophie J. Sen embodied all of Grandpa’s romantic interests, each reflecting the distinct vibe of their era. It started with the polished, buttoned-up 50s-60s to the wild, experimental drug-filled 60s-70s, and finally, the opulent success of the 80s.
Choreography: Despite being a play, this show featured an unexpected amount of quirky dance routines by Flossy Beatrice.
Mona: Megan Huynh (who played the best friend Mona) radiated positive energy and strongly projected her voice. Her portrayal took me back to her memorable roles in Down the Rabbit Hole and Vietgone.
Favorite Line: “Time is aways running out. Do what you want.”

Rant(s)

Sound Balancing: At times, the line delivery was too faint, or it was overshadowed by the background music.
Psychedelic Trip: One of my theatre pet peeves is when characters act drunk or high on stage. Call me a scrooge, but it often feels gratuitous and pandering than serving the story. I also loathe T-rex costumes. They just strike me as too Portlandia-esque or weird for the sake of being weird. It reminded me of the random quirkiness in The Skin of Our Teeth. The timeline of the psychedelic trip didn’t make sense either. There was a scene of delusions, followed by a driving scene without delusions, and then a scene with more delusions. I’ve never been high myself, but it would seem more natural for the hallucinations to be more continuous. There were just too many random, zany moments for me to fully engage. You can probably tell I’m the life of the party! 😛

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Phone Calls: There were several phone call scenes where both characters were portrayed simultaneously, while in others, only one character was seen. This inconsistency felt a bit off. I can’t think of any other productions that use this approach. Is this common in theatre?
True Story: The production touts itself as “A True-ish Jewish Story.” Was there was actually a grandchild with a little black book meeting their grandfather’s mistresses in real life?

Theatre Company: Annex Theatre

Venue: Annex Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 1100 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122

Price Range: $25

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select pay-what-you-can tickets as low as $5.

Dates: January 17 to February 8, 2025

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Street parking is extremely limited since it’s Capitol Hill. Since I don’t visit Annex Theatre often, I’m still at a loss for an affordable place to park. Maybe East of Cal Anderson Park on 11th. I highly suggest taking the bus if that’s an option. I’m still bitter that I ended up desperately paying $26 for a terrible parking location since I was almost late to the show on a Saturday night.

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https://annextheatre.org/season-38/mainstage/gold/

Pictures: See production pictures below by Sayed Alamy and Laura Johnston

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.

Preview Post – Gold – Play – Annex Theatre

Sold out performance of the Gold play at the Annex Theatre. Closes 2/8/25. Hang tight for my full review! #infidelity #secrets

Tickets: https://annextheatre.org/season-38/mainstage/gold/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/gold-play-review-annex-theatre/

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Preview Post – Dial M for Murder – Play – Village Theatre

Happy opening night to Village Theatre’s Dial M for Murder play production. At Issaquah till 2/23/25 and Everett till 3/23/25. Keep a look out for my full review!

Tickets: https://villagetheatre.org/shows/murder/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/dial-m-for-murder-play-review-village-theatre/

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Left on Tenth – Play – Review – James Earl Jones Theatre

@showsiveseen "Left on Tenth" #play at #Broadway's James Earl Jones #Theatre. Starring celebrities Peter Gallagher & Julianna Margulies. Elegant scenic design from Beowulf Boritt. Hope for the middle aged! Review: showsiveseen.com/11163 Production Video: Courtesy of @Left on Tenth Director: Susan Stroman Playwright: Delia Ephron Stage Mgmt: Michelle Bosch, Noam Lautman, Robbie Young #showsiveseen #startingOver #romCom #secondChances ♬ Akon's Beautiful Day – Akon

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Delia Ephron’s Left on Tenth play at Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre. Starring celebrities Peter Gallagher & Julianna Margulies. Elegant scenic design from Beowulf Boritt. Hope for the middle aged! #startingOver #cancer #leukemia #romCom #secondChances

Recommendation:
See it if either 1) you’re a woman of a certain age 2) you’re worried about aging 3) you’ve experienced a “starting over” milestone 4) or you’ve dated via email/letters.

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

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): After losing both her husband and sister to cancer, Delia finds herself grappling with the potential for a second chance at love, while also confronting the possibility of facing cancer herself. This script is based on Delia’s book Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: When she least expects it, Delia, beloved novelist and screenwriter of You’ve Got Mail, reconnects with a man from her past and falls into her own romantic comedy. What starts with an unlikely spark blossoms into a love story that seems to defy all odds in the face of life’s challenges. Left on Tenth tells the messy, beautiful true story of a woman “navigating the miraculous life stream of the Beshert” and discovering how to embrace the unpredictable and open her heart again.

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Mostly static but the stage transformed during the hospital scenes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but I imagine you might appreciate this more if you read the book

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes, but it started out with a lot of passive dialogue and introspection until the script finally gained some momentum

Union Actors: 4

Total Actors: 4

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 110 minutes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Unique Demographic: I feel that many live theatre productions often overlook romance in middle age or later years. Romantic comedies focused on older adults are relatively rare on stage and romance is seemingly a young person’s game. It was refreshing to see older characters in this play fantasizing about love and experiencing vulnerability/butterflies in this slow-burn romance. However, I was surprised that the play didn’t explore the awkwardness that can come with sexual intimacy, especially on the first night. This play reminded me of Michael Mott & Gretchen Suárez-Peña’s musical in development And Sometimes … Love, which also covers similar themes of romance later in life.
Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt’s set design was timeless, elegant, and mature, which perfectly complemented Delia’s vibe. The scenic design also seamlessly harmonized with the theatre’s inherent classic French aesthetic. The accent lighting on the bookcase shelves added a subtle warm glow, and the rotating bookcases were a clever/effective transition element for the hospital scenes.
Projections: Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew created beautiful watercolor-style impressions of iconic NYC locations. I personally find these much more appealing than the artificial-looking CGI projections often used by many other theater companies like in Anastasia. Unfortunately, in this production, the images often clashed against the bookcases filled with books. It was much easier to see the projections when shown against a plain white background without the interference from the books.
Favorite Line: “Every man in Northern California has a backpack [with him at all times].”
Cast Doubling: Peter Francis James and Kate MacCluggage impressively portrayed a range of supporting characters, including a British friend, two doctors, a gay neighbor, an urban orderly, and a Gen-Z influencer among others. This hustle showcased their versatility and skill.
Dogs: I was surprised to see a real dogs in the show, especially since they weren’t even integral to the story. This production must have quite the budget to afford non-essential dogs and a trainer … not to mention the celebrity casting!

Rant(s)

Transitions and Scene Cohesion: The transitions between scenes felt stilted and unnatural. Some scenes appeared randomly placed, lacking cohesion and failing to advance the plot. It’s as if the playwright couldn’t decide between a linear structure verses a series of vignettes. This resulted in a disjointed and awkwardly constructed narrative.
Healthcare Inaccuracies: As someone with a background in hospital oncology, I can’t help but notice inaccuracies in shows that touch on healthcare. For instance, the scene with the unconscious patient struggling with low oxygen saturation while a loved one frantically pleaded for them to fight while practically jumping on the inpatient bed felt gratuitously melodramatic to the point of absurdity. Someone call hospital security! Additionally, intravenous nutrition solutions are typically clear yellow or opaque milky white, which was not accurately portrayed. Lastly, only healthcare students wear white coats that end at the waist. Doctors wear white coats that end at the knees or calves. It was surprising to see such a basic costume detail wrong in a Broadway play. I recently noticed a similar oversight in How to Write a New Book for the Bible as well.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP): Whenever I review shows that touch on blood cancers, I make a point to remind my readers to think about joining the National Marrow Donor Program’s “Be the Match” registry. This vital program connects patients (like the characters in the play) in need of a stem cell or bone marrow transplant with potential donors. They recruit donors, manage the matching process, and coordinate donations to ensure patients receive life-saving transplants from compatible donors, often across the globe. This program is especially crucial for people of color, who are underrepresented in the donor registry. I wish more theatre companies would spotlight “Be the Match” in the same way Broadway Across America national tours previously paused for a moment after every performance to talk about Broadway Cares. While Left on Tenth did include the “NMDP” initials on the press wall photo backdrop, many people likely don’t know what that acronym means. Unfortunately, I also didn’t see any mention of the National Marrow Donor Program in the playbill either.

Venue: James Earl Jones Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 138 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036

Venue Classification: Broadway

Price Range: $74-291

Ticket Affordability Options: You can likely buy discount tickets at the TKTS booth.

Dates: First preview was 9/26/24 and opening night was 10/23/24. As of 1/11/25, the closing date is 2/2/25.

Seating: Assigned Seating

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Pictures: See production pictures below by Joan Marcus.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.