ACT's Rock 'n' Roll
Lots of reviews for new shows at ACT and 5th Ave, and articles still pouring in for INTIMAN’s Abe.
- Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll at ACT Theatre – Positive: “..truly is a spectacular show that will not come around often.” (Andrew J. Perez, Broadway Hour Seattle.) “The strong cast, and Matthew Smucke’s savvy set make Beattie’s brisk, in-the-round staging feel organic.” (Misha Berson, Seattle Times.) Mixed: “Stoppard has even written some dreadful plays, but Rock ‘n’ Roll isn’t dreadful. It is merely good.” (Brendan Kiley, The Stranger.) Negative: “Misha Berson loved it, but I didn’t at all (I half wonder if we didn’t see it on different nights.)” (Jeremy M. Barker, SunBreak)
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (5th Avenue Theatre) – Almost all of the reviews were surprised by how much they enjoyed this fairly overdone play: “Is it shameless? Absolutely. Did I resist? Of course. Did I succumb? Instantly.” (Kevin Phinney, Seattle Weekly.) “There are those that say this show is overdone and nothing really new or fresh can be done with it. I was one of those people. To them (and to myself) I say, ‘Then you haven’t seen the production at the 5th Avenue yet.’” (Jay Irwin, Broadwayworld.com.) Most mentioned were Joseph’s brothers; Steve Clare of Seattle Fine Arts Examiner says “there was one scene that threatened to nearly to steal the show and certainly eclipsed anything else.”
- Despite opening on October 2, people are still writing about INTIMAN‘s Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Emma K. on the TeenTix blog describes the show as “awkward, sensitive, introspective, and commanding” while Letitia Harmon calls it merely “so so” on Seattle Theater Examiner.
- Seattle Children’s Theatre opened If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Miryam Gordon enjoyed the performance of 2009 Gregory Award Recepient Don Darryl Rivera, saying he “is so adorable, you can’t help but laugh, even when he’s just sleeping.”
Also this week: Live Girls! opened Bone Portraits (“a fascinating, very entertaining and smart piece of playwriting”), Artattack‘s Shorts: David Lindsay-Abaire (“for all the absurdity of the characters, the ensemble maintains an excellent sense of conviction”) and Harlequin Production‘s As You Like It. Check it all out on Seattle Performs.
