Stage
Openings & Events
Blood/Water/Paint Live Girls! premieres Joy McCullough-Carranza’s drama about baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave. S., 800-838-3006, lgtheater.org. $15–$22. Preview Feb. 19, opens Feb. 20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus Mon., March 9. Ends March 14.
Cinderella In this telling of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, Cinderella “is a contemporary figure . . . with savvy and soul who doesn’t let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.” The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 877-STG-4TIX, stgpresents.com. $25 and up. 7:30 p.m. Tues., Feb. 24–Thurs., Feb. 26; 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 27; 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 28; 1 & 6:30 p.m. Sun., March 1.
Date Night With Erin & Tanner Sketch comedy from Erin McSmith and Tanner Todgeson, partners in love and in comedy. The Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., jewelboxtheater.com. $10. 7 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 19.
Dear Editor Letters to The Bainbridge Review from the ’40s through the ’70s—maybe yours?—become theater, charting the shifting culture of the island and of America. Bainbridge Public Library, 1270 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, 842-4162, islandtheatre.org. Free. 7:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 21–Sun., Feb. 22.
Family Affair Jennifer Jasper’s “hilarious, twisted, and ultimately relatable” cabaret on the theme of family. JewelBox Theater at the Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., jenniferjasperperforms.com. $10. 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 18.
14/48 “The World’s Quickest Theater Festival” divides participants (tasked with writing and staging new plays from scratch within 48 hours) by age: artists under 35 the first weekend, over 35 the second. Cornish Playhouse, Seattle Center, the1448projects.org. $10–$20 (festival pass $60). Opens Feb. 20. 8 & 10:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends Feb. 28.
The God of Hell Sam Shepard’s dystopian drama pits Wisconsin farmers against malevolent corporate interests. (Are there any other kind?) Stone Soup Theatre, 4029 Stone Way N., 633-1883, stonesouptheatre.org. $15–$25. Previews Feb. 18–19, opens Feb. 20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus 4 p.m. Sun., March 1 & 8. Ends March 14.
Godspell Or, the Passion According to Stephen Schwartz. Presented by Twelfth Night Productions. Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way S.W., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. Opens Feb. 20. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. Ends March 1.
Tom Green Laugh your bum off with this Canuck comedian and ’90s survivor. Parlor Live Bellevue, 700 Bellevue Way N.E. #300, Bellevue, 425-289-7000, parlorlive.com. $25–$35. 7:30 & 10 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20–Sat., Feb. 21.
Richard Maxwell Three denizens of a dive bar loop back and forth in time in The Evening, from the avant-minimalist New York playwright. On the Boards, 100 W. Roy St., ontheboards.org. $23–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 19–Sat., Feb. 21, 5 p.m. Sun., Feb. 22.
Next to Normal A “typical” American family is anything but because of the mother’s 16-year battle with manic depression. The musical won a Tony in New York and has its roots at Issaquah’s Village Theatre, where playwright/lyricist Brian Yorkey got his start. SecondStory Rep, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $27. Opens Feb. 20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus 2 p.m. Sun., March 15. Ends March 15.
Ovum Si’ahl Alycia Scott Zollinger asks us to contemplate where those eggs on our plate come from in this theatrical meditation on a chicken’s first year. Open Flight Studio, 4205 University Way N.E., 800-838-3006, brownpapetickets.com. $10. 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 22.
Seattle Festival of Improv Theater Five nights and 31 groups (from as far as Italy). Performances at Jet City Improv, 5510 University Way N.E., and the SFIT Second Stage, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. Full info at seattle improv.com. $15–$18 (festival pass $60). 8 & 10:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 18–Sun., Feb. 22.
Ari Shaffir He hosts This Is Not Happening on Comedy Central and appears on Delivery. Parlor Live Seattle, 1522 Sixth Ave., 602-1441, parlorlive.com. $20–$30. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 19, 7:30 & 10 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20–Sat., Feb. 21.
Voyage for Madmen Not Don Draper and company, but the voyage of Seattle’s ill-fated, real-life Ardeo Theatre Project. West of Lenin, 203 N. 36th St., the1448projects.org. $20. Preview Feb. 19, opens Feb. 20. 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., plus 8 p.m. Mon., March 2 & 2 p.m. Sun., March 7. Ends March 7.
CURRENT RUNS
Around the World in 80 Days Five actors take on a total of 39 roles in this madcap adaptation of Jules Verne’s adventure novel. Village Theatre, 303 Front St., Issaquah, 425-392-2202. $35–$67. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see villagetheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends March 1. (Runs at the Everett PAC March 6–29.)
The Black Lodge Design your own Twin Peaks episode at this improv show. Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 587-2414, unexpected productions.org. $12–$15. 8:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends March 7.
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Carousel SEE REVIEW, PAGE 19.
Cirque du Soleil “KURIOS—Cabinet of Curiosities” asks “What if by engaging our imagination and opening our minds we could unlock the door to a world of wonders?” Marymoor Park, 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy. N.E., Redmond, 800-450-1480, cirquedusoleil.com/kurios. $35–$156. 8 p.m. Tues.–Sat., 4:30 p.m. Sat. (& some Fri.), 1:30 & 5 p.m. Sun. Ends March 22.
Dear Elizabeth Sarah Ruhl’s portrait of Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell is built on their correspondence. Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 443-2222. $17–$67. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sun. plus some Wed., Sat., & Sun. matinees; see seattlerep.org for exact schedule. Ends March 8.
The Dog of the South SEE REVIEW, PAGE 19.
The Explorers Club SEE REVIEW, PAGE 20.
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change Joe DiPietro’s long-running off-Broadway hit about the vagaries of love. Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 Fourth Ave. S.W., Burien, 242-5180, burienactorstheatre.org. $7–$20. 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends March 22.
I May Have Seen the Devil Alejandro Stepenberg’s take on Hamlet “transplants the action to a New England asylum circa 1946, and rewrites the lead role . . . to be played by a woman who is locked in a lesbian relationship with Ophelia.” $10–$15. 800-838-3006, brownpaper tickets.com. 8 p.m. Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat. Runs Feb. 20–21 at the Ballard Underground, 2220 N.W. Market St., and Feb. 27–28 at Theatre4, fourth floor, Seattle Center Armory.
Locally Grown This festival promises “5 weekends. 9 productions. 32 performances” of new works by K. Brian Neel, Jose Amador, Jennifer Jasper, and others. New City Theater, 1404 18th Ave., 800-838-3006. $12–$15. Shows run Thurs.–Sat.; see radialtheater.org for full lineup. Ends Feb. 28.
Matt & Ben The comedy that launched Mindy Kaling’s career: her sendup of the Hollywood bromance that gave us Good Will Hunting. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., seattlestageright.org. $10–$22. 7:30 p.m. Fri–Sat. plus Thurs., Feb. 19 & Mon., Feb. 23. Ends Feb. 28.
Natural Winsome, full of flair, but not terribly edgy, Marcus Gorman’s comedy has Art (Shane Regan) and his live-in milksop boyfriend Theo (Sam Turner) sharing a snug though sexless life until brazen bartender Samantha (Allie Pratt) comes along, causing confusion about sexual orientation between the pair. Another disruptive force is Chloe (Pilar O’Connell), Theo’s disgruntled customer-service co-worker, an erotica blogger who arouses attention every time she enters the stage. Dating and career woes drive the plot, though it oddly lags behind the times: While the rules of dating get updated as quickly as your OS, we hear no mention of social media or sexting, and when Jeremy (Jaryl Draper), the poor man’s Barney Stinson, wants an escort, he uses the phone. Seriously? There’s an app for that. Natural sometimes feels like it was written by someone who hasn’t dated since MySpace. Director Jen Moon does expedite the action in this properly minimal production, which reminds me of the 1992 ensemble-com Singles. In that flick, you may recall, a half-dozen Gen-Xers were searching for love and stumbling toward adulthood. Here, essentially, a half-dozen millennials do the same thing. ALYSSA DYKSTERHOUSE Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., 728-0933, annextheatre.org. $5–$10. 8 p.m. Tues.–Wed. Ends Feb. 18.
Our Town Thornton Wilder’s 1938 warhorse is is quintessential meta-theater. In the provincial town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, circa 1901, things are slowly changing (and America, by implication, along with it). We meet the Gibbs and Webb families. We hear histories and gossip. We are witness to blossoming love between sporty young George Gibbs (Joe Cummings) and the bookish but beautiful Emily Webb (Anastasia Higham). And finally we see the inevitable loss. Our Town has a clear arc that symbolizes in microcosm the life cycle of a community: daily life, love and marriage, and finally death. What is doesn’t have, however, is much dramatic action. Wilder’s play provides a condescending reminder of things we already know, a guiding hand that makes decisions for us and tells us how to think. As a result, though well cast and directed (by Greg Carter), this Strawberry Theatre Workshop production makes a better case for the company than for the text itself. IRFAN SHARIFF 12th Ave Arts, 1620 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, strawshop.org. $18–$36. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Feb. 21.
Savage/Love More vagaries of love, by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaiken, with original music by Michale Owcharuk. The Pocket Theater in Greenwood, 8312 Greenwood Ave. N., thepocket.org. $10–$14. 8:30 p.m. Feb. 20–21; 7 p.m. Feb. 22 & 27.
Side by Side by Sondheim A revue showcasing the greatest theater composer of the past half-century. Bainbridge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, 842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org. $19–$27. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. Ends Feb. 22.
Sweet Charity A dance-hall girl looks for love in this classic. Seattle Musical Theatre at Magnuson Park, 7120 62nd Ave. N.E., Building 47, 800-838-3006, seattle musicaltheatre.org. $20–$35. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. plus Thurs., Feb. 26; 2 p.m. Sun. Ends March 1.
Teatro ZinZanni: The Hot Spot In TZ’s new show, “love and magic in the digital age collide.” Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015. $99 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun. plus some Wed.; see zinzanni.com/seattle for exact schedule. Ends June 7.
Treasure Island A musical adaptation of Stevenson’s archetypal pirate adventure. 425-881-6777, second storyrep.org. $5–$10. 1 & 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends March 8.
Zapoi! Quinn Armstrong’s imaginative fantasia on Soviet life. Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., 728-0933, annex theatre.org. $5–$20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Feb. 21.
Dance
Double Vision Tara Dyberg and Ashleigh Miller co-present two evenings of dance, music, and projection storytelling. Velocity Dance Center, 1621 12th Ave. $15–$20. 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20–Sat., Feb. 21.
Classical, Etc.
UW Jazz Innovations Standards and originals from student ensembles. Brechemin Auditorium, School of Music, UW campus, 685-8384, music.washington.edu. $5. 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 18–Thurs., Feb. 19.
UW Chamber Orchestra Music by Atterberg, Sibelius, and others; violinist Quinton Morris is the soloist. HUB Lyceum, UW campus, 685-8384, music.washington.edu. Free. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 19.
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Jerusalem Quartet Haydn, Bartok (his ever-unsettling Fourth Quartet), and Schubert. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, uwworldseries.org. $40–$45. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 19.
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Bull Roarchestra Stuart Dempster’s bass drum/hand bullroarer/didgeridoo ensemble performs in response to the installation Ann Hamilton: the common S E N S E. Henry Art Gallery, 4100 15th Ave. N.E., 543-2280, henryart.org. Free w/admission. 7 p.m. Fri. Feb. 20.
Mark Steinbach Organ works TBA. St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E., 685-8384, music.washington.edu. $15. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20.
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Northwest Sinfonietta Christophe Chagnard’s final performance as music director (the ensemble’s transitioning out of the single-leadership model) is devoted to Mozart overtures and arias. Benaroya Recital Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 215-4747, nw sinfonietta.org. $20–$55. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20.
UW Orchestra Haydn and Mozart with soprano Cyndia Sieden. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, music. washington.edu. $10–$15. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20.
Seattle Symphony Bach’s four orchestral suites. Benaroya Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 215-4747, seattle symphony.org. $20–$122. 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 20–Sat., Feb. 21.
Marc Seales Music from ths UW faculty jazz pianist and friends. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, music.washington.edu. $12–$20. 7:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 21.
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Tudor Choir A new setting, by Gabriel Jackson, of The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed Sacrament Church, 5041 Ninth Ave. N.E., 323-9415, tudorchoir.org. $20–$30. 7:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 21.
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Seattle Opera SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 18.
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra With special guest clarinetist Anat Cohen. Benaroya Recital Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 7:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 21; Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 2 p.m. Sun., Feb. 22. $15–$47. 523-6159, srjo.org.
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Fortune’s Bones Subtitled “The Manumission Requiem,” Ysaye M. Barnwell’s choral/orchestral cantata sets Marilyn Nelson’s poem about an 18th-century Connecticut slave. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 877-STG-4TIX, stgpresents.com. Free. 4 p.m. Sun., Feb. 22.
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Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring for piano four-hands, and more. Benaroya Recital Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 425-829-1345, russianchambermusic.org. $10–$30. 5 p.m. Sun., Feb. 22.
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Music of Today Fearless pianist Cristina Valdes plays Lachenmann and Scelsi. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, music.washington.edu. $12–$20. 7:30 p.m. Tues., Feb. 24.
UW Baroque Ensemble Bach, Handel and Telemann. Brechemin Auditorium, School of Music, UW campus, 685-8384, music.washington.edu. $5. 7:30 p.m. Tues., Feb. 24.
