Be More Chill, the 2015 musical that artfully presents the uncomfortable angst that most everyone feels at one time or another during their teenage years, is a show that combines fun and catchy songs with a unique way of telling the classic story of the unpopular kid who will do anything to raise his social standing in order to get the girl. Featuring a cast of talented and funny actors under the direction of Doug Fahl, the SecondStory Rep production proves once again what a theatre is capable of, even in a small space. And when a capable group of actors who perform well individually come together to create a full and solid ensemble in a show like this, it’s a recipe for success, and anyone who comes to Redmond for this musical will agree, Be More Chill is a rousing success.

The Realistic Joneses is so named by playwright Will Eno because of his intent to make a story that is relatable with characters who behave realistically. He’s certainly done that with this piece, and in the latest production of it at the Jewel Box Theatre in Poulsbo, director Jeffrey Brown presents a show that is indeed accessible, a solid story of mortality, communication, loneliness, and love, told by a talented cast of actors who are able to strip back the walls of their characters in order to expose their vulnerable sides. It’s a show that will make us think about our own lives, how their challenges define our behaviors and relationships, the walls that exist to prevent people from getting too close, and how, by knocking them down, we may find the grace we need to fill the holes in our hearts.

Here and Their, the new musical from Jasmine Joshua, with music from Heather Ragusa, is a rollicking and raucous show with a big heart. A story that is drawn from Jasmine’s own experience, it is the ideal show to celebrate Pride, bringing together voices that are seldom heard in a coming out story and presenting their individual perspectives in such a way that they can, and should, be used as an example to inform our own conversations about LGBTQ+. Open-mindedness, support, and patience are all required to help those who are struggling, and what this musical does is provide a fresh, exciting, and accessible look at a story that can bring everyone to the table by bringing everyone to the theatre.

Some plays are exquisitely designed, or have actors that perform with a high level of excellence, or that are executed with precision, but rarely do all of these individual components combine to create a piece of theatre that is important, emotional, and jaw droppingly good. The ArtsWest production of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect, under Mathew Wright’s direction, is as close to perfect as a show can get, with a futuristic and ethereal design, a cast that is passionate and fervently emotional, and a team that has come together to present a play that hits every creative and performative mark. No notes.

Suspect is a good character-driven murder mystery, and in the hands of Kristi Ann Jacobson and her directorial team, as well as the group that she’s cast for the Bremerton Community Theatre production, this play, which is also dialogue-heavy, is not just an intriguing whodunit, it’s also a study in how far a mother is willing to go in order to keep control of her children, the power of rumors and speculation, and how they impact our behavior, and the heaviness of a past burden that a person carries with them. It’s a play that refuses to wrap itself in a pretty bow, but instead is a thinker, something that asks the audience to study the evidence at hand and draw their own conclusions. It may not be for everyone, those that enjoy edge of your seat suspense may not appreciate the academic nature of this play, but for those that do, and for those who are just drawn to good theatre, Suspect is definitely your cup of tea.

Sixty-five years after its debut on Broadway, Bye Bye Birdie is still going strong. The 5th Avenue Theatre production of this classic musical comedy proves that it’s not going anywhere soon, either. Under the stellar direction of Paige Price, the cast, which consists of professional adult and teenage actors, brings energy, enthusiasm, and a boat load of talent to bear in a musical theatre experience that is as thoroughly entertaining as anything that has been on stage this season. This is a must-see in my book, and a show that will be sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees it.

The next twelve months is going to be very telling for the new organization that represents the combined operations of ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare following their merger earlier this year. From selecting a name for their going concern, to establishing an identity that we all hope represents the best of the two former individual companies, this time next year, after their first full season together, should provide a good idea as to that identity and its direction. That said, if their first co-production, Twelfth Night, is any indication, they’ll at least be able to carry on the wonderful and inspiring work that Seattle Shakespeare has been doing of late. Though Twelfth Night feels like a Seattle Shakespeare production in its creativity, performance quality, and its respect for the the Bard, the show does have some tendrils of ACT clearly touching its margins at the very least. This version, under the astute direction of Annie Lareau, is fresh, lively, and funny, an entertaining presentation of a classic told by an exceptional cast and creative team that knows it has a responsibility to both companies to provide a foundation on which to build, and the result is an experience that bodes extremely well for well for the future.

Most American theatre goers are familiar with both Alice in Wonderland and tales from ancient times about the Middle East, so they will appreciate the nods to both throughout this new play. But what’s unfamiliar for most of us is seeing a story about the Middle East that, rather than catering to American audiences, strives to authentically depict its people and communities, with an occasional sly wink toward the ever-watching Western Gaze. Annex Theatre’s world debut of Alice in Arabialand offers a thoughtful, moving show where the production elements meld in a way that allows audiences of all backgrounds to simultaneously question and enjoy the creative, communal process of crafting a narrative onstage.

The Gods of Comedy, running on stage at Phoenix Theatre, is the best way I can think of for this small but mighty theatre to wrap up what has been a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable season. Eric Lewis once again provides a blueprint for designing, building, and presenting a show that leans heavily on its ensemble and allows them to explore all of the facets of delivering a farcical comedy. The play, from American playwright Ken Ludwig, is well written, but what this cast is able to do with the piece is lift it up through their performances, combining just the right amount of heart with the humor. If you haven’t seen a show at Phoenix Theatre, by all means, you’re missing out. The only thing you’d be sacrificing is more exposure to the stress of our current news cycle. And while the group’s formula doesn’t vary necessarily from show to show, it’s a formula that is unique to this theatre, and one that works. So, to close this season at Phoenix Theatre, all I can say is The Gods of Comedy await, and I suggest you heed their call. I wouldn’t want to keep them waiting.

Annie is one of the most popular musicals being permed on a regular basis. It’s been estimated that the show is performed anywhere from 700 to 900 times each year in the US alone, and it’s no wonder. This musical is suitable for the entire family, it’s full of hope and love, and it stretches the definition of family from those you’re born into to those you find along the way. The Kitsap Forest Theater production of Annie contains all of what makes their shows work so well, and with a cast that acts, sings, and dances with a high level of quality and with its combination of adults and younger actors, Annie another in a string of shows from this group that are enjoyable for everyone in an environment that seems like it’s made for an afternoon out at the theatre. For the older folks, the walk down and back up doesn’t get any easier with age, but if you take it slow, it’s well worth it for what awaits at the end of the trail.

There are few films with the staying power that Rocky has had since its 1976 release, having spawned five sequels as well as three movies in the Creed origin series. This extended universe has a wide reaching fanbase, a base that stretches well beyond that which considers the original film to be one of the best of the 20th Century, which it most definitely is. The stage musical leans into that extended base, as does the Tacoma Little Theatre production, diluting the complexity of the original story and its characters and focusing on the humor and masculinity of the larger breadth of the Rocky canon. Fans and followers of the Rocky series will thoroughly enjoy this telling of the boxer’s rise from mafia enforcer to heavyweight contender, but for those looking for a recreation of the artistry and nuanced complexity that was the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 1976, you’ll have to leave those expectations ringside, grab some popcorn, and enjoy it for what it is.

While some theatre companies start out strong, and find a plateau in their level of quality as the season progresses, the trend with Village Theatre seems to be something akin to a crescendo, starting strong enough, but building all season until their closer comes, which leaves everything else in its dust. This season’s season-closing musical meets that mark solidly, with The Color Purple. Directed by Timothy McCuen Piggee, whose track record isn’t shabby either, having directed two Sound on Stage award winning productions over the last two seasons, this production takes a version of a story that is somewhat diluted from its previous incarnations in print and film, and lifts it to a new height with an unmatched level of quality and flow of storytelling that reaches into the audience’s soul, pulls them in, and doesn’t let go. Like Once on This Island and Hello Dolly in prior seasons, The Color Purple wraps up the Village Theatre season on a high and only makes me look forward to next year’s slate that much more.

Something Rotten!, the satirical and irreverent story of Nick Bottom’s pursuit of greatness amid a world that seems only to lavish praise on his rival, William Shakespeare, is the kind of musical that can poke fun at itself and its genre, but at the same time be a love letter to the latter. Led by an exemplary cast under the direction of Alyson Soma, the Centerstage Theatre production of Something Rotten! is welcome distraction from the stressful and divisive world we find ourselves trying to scrape by in. The show doesn’t hold back in how it garners laughs, and there’s plenty to go around. It’s a musical treat that will hit your funny bone, bring back a few memories in its callbacks, and even perhaps tug at your heartstrings a bit. What I’m trying to say is that there’s no reason not to go and see the Centerstage production of Something Rotten!, unless, of course, you don’t like to laugh.

With the end of the theatre season upon us, Pacific Northwest Ballet sees no better time than this to reflect, celebrate, and do a little looking forward at the same time. With Director’s Choice, a presentation of three previously run programs, PNB has done all three with the beauty, elegance, and precision they are known for. And beneath all the beauty on offer, these dances are rich with emotion – sometimes passion, and sometimes conflict – that suggests that there is more than meets the eye, for those willing to peer a little deeper.

Same Time, Next Year is a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, it’s a story about an adulterous affair that goes on for over twenty-five years, but on the other, it’s a piece that will make you believe in love perhaps even more than you did before seeing it. The story of two lovers who meet one night at dinner in 1951 and then continue their relationship every year on the same weekend at the same inn is about how love perseveres through the years and the changes that come with the living of our human lives. It’s a story that understands we cannot be everything to everyone and how finding what we need to fill those gaps might just make all of our relationships better. BJ Smyth and Erin Michele Gabbard grapple with the emotional roller coaster that is this couple’s relationship, and not only bring out the hearts and souls of whom they portray on stage, but help their characters find a lasting and committed love along the way.

Drinking Habits, Tom Smith’s religious farce about two nuns secretly making wine against their Mother Superior’s wishes to keep their convent afloat, has all the ingredients for an escapist’s dream. There is no time to think about the stress of the outside world during the Edmonds Driftwood Players’ latest production, as the laughs come one after another, and the pace of the show is so quick audiences may not be able to catch their breath until the final twist is revealed and the curtain falls. With an ensemble that works together as well as any, and who grasp the ability to deliver on physical and situational comedy, Drinking Habits is a play you’ll want to come out and see, just remember to check your stress at the door.

Most in the periphery, or outside, of the theatre-going community became aware of Gutenberg! The Musical when it was announced that Book of Mormon alums Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells were bringing this oddly titled show to Broadway. The satirical musical, which pokes fun at itself, the musical theatre genre, and a ton of aspects of our current popular culture, has now made its way to Kitsap County and the Robert B. Stewart Performance Hall at Bremerton Community Theatre. Featuring George Shaw and Corey Suraci as the fledgling playwrights trying to sell their new musical about the inventor of the printing press, the show is a welcome respite from the many shows that are trying to change the world through their messaging. To put it simply, Gutenberg! is a fun, funny, and entertaining musical presented by two energetic and talented actors that know how to deliver comedy that’s part physical, part situational, and part language and lyric, and is the perfect escape from the seriousness of the world we’re all living in.

Always…Patsy Cline, the latest offering from Taproot Theatre, is a nostalgic look at the personality and talent of one of the instrumental female voices of the 20th century. Directed by Karen Lund, this production provides audiences with a rarely seen side of the legendary singer, as told through her relationship with a fan turned friend that began with a chance meeting before a performance one night. Cayman Ilika is Patsy Cline here, and what she’s able to do in representing both the personality and talent of a woman that left us too soon in a tragic plane crash, is sheer magnificence. Cayman presents Patsy Cline’s songs with a powerful and bluesy delivery, and she pours out her soul into the emotional interpretation of these familiar songs, resulting in one of the best musical performances of the season and one unforgettable production.

Ordinary Days, the latest from SecondStory Rep, is a musical that owes a lot to its genre, with influences from Sondheim and other musicals like The Last Five Years and Parade. The story of four young New Yorkers trying to find their way in the city through their relationships, careers, and lives, with songs that run the emotional gamut, is in very capable hands with SecondStory and director Scot Charles Anderson. This production is emotionally charged and extremely well performed by a quartet of actors who shine from beginning to end in the latest chapter in what is becoming a season of great variety, and quality, from this theatre.

Madhuri Shekar's House of Joy has taken a decade long winding road to the Bathhouse Theatre stage on Green Lake, one that started out on the desks of Amy Poisson and Agastya Kohli, went back to Madhuri for an overhaul, and came back as a new version in 2017 to Agastya’s Pratidhwani for a reading before premiering at Cal Shakes in 2019. House of Joy is back in Seattle, and this time Amy and Agastya haven’t let the opportunity pass them by, presenting a version of Madhuri’s work that takes her tale of political intrigue, female repression and independence, and love, and elevates it into a veritable theatrical feast of passion, color, and movement that is unlike anything I’ve seen this season. It’s not often a show comes along that I feel the need to return to, but House of Joy is that rare piece that has me checking the calendar for an open date. You don’t have to see it twice (though you could), but you do owe it to yourself to see this unique co-production from Seattle Public Theatre and Pratidhwani at least once.