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Jane v. Jane: Presented by Book-It and ArtsWest

I love when two theaters put on wildly different versions of the same story because it provides multiple interpretations. When I saw that both Book-It and ArtsWest had Jane Eyre on their season line-ups, I knew that I wouldn't rest easy unless I had experienced both. I love Book-It theater because it shares many actors with Seattle Shakespeare (who I adore), and ArtsWest puts on some of the most beautiful musicals in Seattle (I took voice lessons years ago from the recent Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd and she NAILED the role). I would warn that there are spoilers ahead but...the book by Charlotte Brontë came out in 1847. I always wished to be a plain, solemn child after reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte when I was a young girl. I suppose it's the same premise of many teen movies, an "ugly, boring girl" gets the popular guy after he realizes the cheerleaders are rude and vapid. However, the ending of the novel (and therefore the play) takes a gentle turn into Vic...
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Seattle Opera presents: The Turn Of The Screw, or How To Alarm Your Audience

My favorite book that I read as part of my high school curriculum was the classic Victorian ghost novel, The Turn of The Screw by Henry James, which really should tell you everything you need to know about me. I've always loved a mystery, and the ending of this story leaves much to be explained. A few weeks before opening night, Wagner and More (WAM), another Seattle Opera group, kindly invited Bravo members to a screening of Jack Clayton's'  The Innocents which is the perfect preview for the opera. Starring the lovely Deborah Kerr as the governess who is seemingly in every shot, The Innocents  is a close adaptation of the stage play of the same name by William Archibald, which is an adaptation of the Henry James novel, The Turn of the Screw.  Think: black and white. Think: creepy children whispering 24/7. Hear: lots of screaming and breathy crying from Debby. Whereas the stageplay of The Innocents  stands firm on the idea that the governess is truly eradicating ...
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September 2018 Preview

You guys, it's been a crazy month already and I'm overwhelmed. I just returned from a weekend in Vegas and since my only theatrical experience over the weekend was Mariah Carey's The Butterfly Returns (SO enjoyable, we love a diva), I'm very ready for dark Seattle stages. In The News: At the tail end of August, Seattle Weekly listed their Best of Seattle 2018 Food&Drink awards and none other than the Head Chef/Co-Creator of Cafe Nordo, the wonderful Erin Brindley, was named Best Chef!? I'm so pleased, and couldn't agree more. My father reached out to me to finally express his interest in going to a show, and I'm realizing that my semi-secret obsession is going to be a lot more popular this season! I've rarely seen empty seats at the venue and now tickets are going to go faster than ever. Rats. You can read the full listing here: https://www.seattleweekly.com/food/best-of-seattle-2018-food-drink/ AND THEN this week it was publicly announced ...
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Cafe Nordo: Kiss Me Cake

Cafe Nordo presents: The Pressure Cooker - Kiss Me Cake Cafe Nordo is here to save the concept of "dinner theater". Whenever I describe my evenings at Nordo, I trip over my words in an attempt to reduce the gentle sniffs of disapproval shown by those around me when I use the phrase "dinner theater". "It's so much more than that!" I cry, my hands desperately shooing away the image of a seedy theater from the 80's, filled with smoke, off-key singing, and daring high-low dresses. But depending on the show, Nordo is like that. Just this past season, Nordo has tackled sci-fi, spaghetti westerns, Christmas mysteries, and radio dramas (a collaboration with Book-It which was so delightful you wanted to walk away with an audio version of their performance). The upcoming season promises a new diverse array of themes, truly ensuring there is a show for everyone. Placed in a charming old building in Pioneer Square, the space is completely transformed f...
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