Stage
If I haven't made it abundantly clear in the past, I think Hamlet is the greatest piece of dramatic literature ever written, its only competition being the Biblical book of Job. (It's a musical. I promise. Look it up.) It's also one of the most intimidating works in the canon,
Stage
Do you believe in ghosts? According to a 2009 CBS News poll, more Americans say they do than don't, and over one in five say they've experienced paranormal activity. There's a specter running loose in Lakewood Playhouse right now, in a masterful production that demonstrates what talent, commitment, hard work,
We Recommend
Do you believe in ghosts? According to a 2009 CBS News poll, more Americans say they do than don't, and over one in five say they've experienced paranormal activity. There's a specter running loose in Lakewood Playhouse right now, in a masterful production that demonstrates what talent, commitment, hard work,
We Recommend
If I haven't made it abundantly clear in the past, I think Hamlet is the greatest piece of dramatic literature ever written, its only competition being the Biblical book of Job. (It's a musical. I promise. Look it up.) It's also one of the most intimidating works in the canon,
Guides
There's little doubt Jason Haws is Olympia's go-to guy for heady, hardcore theatrical emoting, the kind which requires him to dredge up childhood traumas and bawl like Anne Hathaway after a haircut. (Or who knows, maybe he's balancing his checkbook in there. He insists his method isn't immersive.) After a
Stage
Pizza Man, directed by and starring Pamela Arndt, has much to recommend it. Amanda Navarez's delicate house music is a welcome deviation from the usual canned stuff. The prerecorded music, when it does kick in, is apt and evocative. The show has a point of view, and its tech elements
We Recommend
Pizza Man, directed by and starring Pamela Arndt, has much to recommend it. Amanda Navarez's delicate house music is a welcome deviation from the usual canned stuff. The prerecorded music, when it does kick in, is apt and evocative. The show has a point of view, and its tech elements
Stage
Every 15 years or so, the American musical veers in a new and unpredictable direction. When it works, it inspires a wave of imitators. Phantom and Les Miz spawned a decade of bombast. Rent added urban flava and moved gay life and issues to the forefront. Something tells me Next
Stage
I managed to catch a goodly chunk of Olympia Family Theater's 2008 production of James and the Giant Peach, despite performing in a thriller next door. If you enjoyed the 2008 version, you'll find OFT's current revival uses the same script. The costumes are the same or similar, and the
We Recommend
Every 15 years or so, the American musical veers in a new and unpredictable direction. When it works, it inspires a wave of imitators. Phantom and Les Miz spawned a decade of bombast. Rent added urban flava and moved gay life and issues to the forefront. Something tells me Next
Stage
I've seen five Cirque du Soleil productions now and loved every one. They're circuses that forgo animals in favor of the staggering variety of things human beings can do, and they share a looseness of plot and fanciful, go-for-broke design philosophy. Just opened in Seattle is Cirque's newest touring show,
We Recommend
I read Liz Duffy Adams' script Or, (the comma is part of the show title) a few months ago, when I admired rather than enjoyed it. I couldn't visualize all its chaotic comings and goings. As with any sex farce, it turns out Or, has to be
Stage
I read Liz Duffy Adams' script Or, (the comma is part of the show title) a few months ago, when I admired rather than enjoyed it. I couldn't visualize all its chaotic comings and goings. As with any sex farce, it turns out Or, has to be seen to be
We Recommend
For better and worse, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks at Tacoma Little Theatre is a very cute play. For some in our Sunday matinée audience, it was LOL funny. Mostly, though, patrons appeared to be charmed but not laughing, and they grumbled through its minutes-long scene changes.
Stage
There are words we use all the time without ever contemplating definitions, and one of those words is cute. When a woman (cute seems to be a predominantly feminine word) describes a movie as cute, you know it's a comedy, most likely a romantic comedy. If it makes her laugh
We Recommend
Willian Hellman's The Children's Hour is a long play, close to three hours, and its first hour is depressingly boring. Yet it's easy to see how its daring, few-holds-barred script was a Broadway sensation in 1934 - so much so, in fact, that New York state authorities
Stage
Willian Hellman's The Children's Hour is a long play, close to three hours, and its first hour is depressingly boring. Yet it's easy to see how its daring, few-holds-barred script was a Broadway sensation in 1934 - so much so, in fact, that New York state authorities were willing to
Viva South Sound
You know what I like? Movies. You know what I like even more? Classic movies, preferably from the '80s (my formative years, aka a prehistoric era which ended years before our average reader was conceived). You know what I like even more than that? Classic movies and
Viva South Sound
I improvised for 20 minutes on stage once, but that was because a prop got lost and our show was in freefall. Believe me, it's a lot more fun when actors plan to not plan. Of course, quality improv comedy is never entirely made up on the
Viva South Sound
Remember that sudden swing dancing craze about 10 years ago? I was living in Hollywood at the time, and my roommates were regulars at the Brown Derby, so I enjoyed a crash course in the lush life. That craze left town before I did, but its timeless,
