Post Type – Page 8 – Shows I've Seen

Preview Post – Hamilton – Musical – Paramount Theatre

Happy opening night to Hamilton from Broadway Seattle and Seattle Theatre Group. Performing at Paramount Theatre till 3/2/25. Hang tight for my full review!

Tickets: https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/hamilton-2/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/hamilton-musical-2025-review-paramount-theatre/

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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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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

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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The Museum of Broadway – Review

@showsiveseen The #Museum of #Broadway in New York City's #Manhattan #Theatre District. Offered a surprising amount to see, with plenty of photo-worthy spots perfect for selfies! Review: showsiveseen.com/11337 Executive Producers, Creative Directors, Conceived By: Julie Boardman & Diane Nicoletti General Manager: Elie Landau Curators: Ben West, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, John Kenrick, Michael McDonald, & Lisa Zinni #nyc #newYorkCity #newYork #musicals #plays @The Museum of Broadway ♬ #BrooklynBloodPop! – SyKo

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Museum of Broadway in New York City’s Manhattan Theatre District. Offered a surprising amount to see, with plenty of photo-worthy spots perfect for selfies and Instagram!

Recommendation:
See it, especially if you enjoy plays and musicals. Bonus points if you also like reading the dramaturgical articles in playbill programs.

Was This the First Time I Visited this Museum? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Yes, if their exhibits changed by more than 50%, so I could see something new.

Mainstream Appeal: Medium to high

My Synopsis: The experience begins with Broadway’s theatrical roots and the Ziegfeld Follies. It continues through each era, highlighting iconic musicals such as Oklahoma!, Company, West Side Story, Hair, and Rent. Special exhibits also delve into the creation of a musical, exploring behind-the-scenes roles like stage management, and a focus on Disney musicals.

Synopsis from Company: Walk through Broadway’s history, starting in 1732 with the first documented performance in NYC, and go backstage with your favorite Broadway stars to learn how a show is made. As you walk the timeline, you’ll come upon exhibits dedicated to groundbreaking moments in Broadway’s history – those that pushed creative boundaries, challenged social norms, and paved the way for those who would follow. The Museum of Broadway was designed by internationally renowned artists, designers, and theatre historians.

Type: Museum

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll obviously appreciate this experience more if you know a little about musical theatre.

Length: It’s whatever length you make it. I spent around 1.5 hours there.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Photo Opportunities: The museum did a great job in ensuring there were plenty of Instagram-able moments. For example, the museum allows you to sit in the letter “C” (from the musical Company) and take a selfie. I’ve always wondered where the below iconic picture came from that I see everywhere on Instagram.
Lockers: Complimentary lockers were available to store belongings so you wouldn’t need to haul them around the museum.
Content Quantity: For a venue with such a tiny footprint, there was unexpectedly an almost overwhelmingly number of exhibits to see! I was originally anticipating much less at the Museum of Broadway since I visited the Museum of Sex earlier (a 25-minute walk away), which was surprisingly sparse.
Unsung Heros: Some exhibits towards the end focused on roles in live theatre that don’t get much spotlight like stage management, stagehands, and sound board operators.