Seattle Spotlight: March 2008

Music is definitely in the air, this March — new, classic, and in-between — led by the world premiere of Little Women (VIllage Theatre, March 19-May 18), based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, and written by Sean Hartley (book) and Kim Oler and Alison Hubbard (music and lyrics).

Abba’s retrospective-turned-musical-hit, Mamma Mia!, will tour through the Paramount Theater, March 18-23, starring Susie McMonagle, a stalwart touring musical headliner, as Donna. The 5th Avenue Theatre resurrects Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret (March 25-April 13), starring Tari Kelly as Sally Bowles. The Tony Award-winning Urinetown mines laughs at SecondStory Repertory, March 27-April 26 and Kirkland Performance Center hosts Oliver! (March 28-30), about the orphan boy who hooks up with a gang of pickpockets. Also, Seattle Musical Theatre presents The Fantasticks (March 14-30), the beloved tuner by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones.

Twelfth Night Productions’ serves up Ira Levin’s thriller Deathtrap (March 28-April 6). Seattle Shakespeare Company’ offers up The Miser, (March 12-April 6) starring Seattle favorite, Todd Jefferson Moore. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Doubt by John Patrick Shanley (March 26-April 26) is on tap at Taproot Theatre and the Intiman presents a new version of The Diary of Anne Frank (March 21-May 17). Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida (March 13-29) is Sound Theatre Company’s comment on political maneuvering, via the Trojan War, site-specifically performed at a former military naval space at Magnuson Park.

Shirley Valentine (March 7-22) travels to The New Space Theatre. Prelude to A Kiss (March 27-April 20) reprises at ReAct, staged during their first season in 1994 to critical acclaim. Matt and Ben are at it again, this month at Eclectic Theater Company (March 20-April 12). Rebecca Gilman’s The Sweetest Swing In Baseball, (March 14-April 6) continues its run from Artswest, in an unusual collaboration, at Seattle Public Theater.

Seattle Repertory Theatre’s How? How? Why? Why? Why? (March 13-April 13) written by Kevin Kling, a regular NPR contributor, examines how tragedy can positively define a person’s life. Next Stage performs Demonology (March 28-April 20), by Kelly Stuart, as their inaugural production at Richard Hugo House. On The Boards imports Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company from New York to present her Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven (A Show about White People in Love) (March 6-9). Be Aggressive (March 7-29) relocates Ashland’s Artattack Theater Ensemble to Seattle with a totally hysterical comedy about kids and parents, loss and friendship and “like all that other really heavy stuff.”

ACT Theatre is bringing an internationally acclaimed theater troupe to town from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Ilkhom Theatre Festival (March 14-April 13) will present two plays directed by its late artistic director, Mark Weil, who spent parts of years in Seattle and Tashkent, before being attacked and killed last year. To date, the Ilkhom is the only venue for uncensored drama in a country where freedom of expression is severely limited. They’ll perform in Russian and Uzbek with supertitles.

Children’s treats include Seattle Children’s Theatre’s presentation of According to Coyote (March 14-May 4), a storytelling performance about the Native American folklore trickster, Coyote. Also, little ones can sing along with Cinderella at SecondStory Repertory (March 7-22) or StoryBook Theater/Studio East’s production of Little Women (March 14-30) by Mindi Dickstein and Jason Howland.