Seattle Spotlight: April 2009

Carrie Fisher whets our palates with Wishful Drinking at the Seattle Repertory Theatre (April 2-May 3) as she recounts true stories with the wry wit that she’s known for in bestsellers like Postcards from the Edge. The Rep also world premieres a new Kevin Kling collaboration with his accordionist Simone Perine entitled Breakin’ Hearts and Taking Names (April 9-May 10).

The 5th Avenue goes all out for Sunday In The Park With George (April 21-May 10), the groundbreaking musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, importing director Sam Buntrock and featuring the same scenic design and computer animation effects he created with designers Tim Bird and David Farley, which were a hit in London and New York. Hugh Panaro stars as George with local favorite Billie Wildrick tackling Dot.

ArtsWest mounts Gutenberg! The Musical! (April 15-May 17), in which two aspiring playwrights at a backers’ audition perform their new project: a big, splashy musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg. ACT quadruples Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation, where four different actors play Henry Jekyll’s depraved alter ego (April 10-May 10). Intiman Theatre presents Crime and Punishment (April 1-May 3), allowing new Associate Director Sheila Daniels to remount her acclaimed indy production with Hana Lass and Galen Joseph Osier from 2007 and adding Todd Jefferson Moore in this award-winning adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece.

Book-It Repertory’s next world premiere is The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu (April 14-May 9), as Sepha escapes from Ethiopia’s revolution to build a failing convenience store in rundown Washington, D.C. and make controversial friendships. Top Girls by Caryl Churchill (April 30-May 17) is staged by Sound Theatre Company as Marlene celebrates her recent promotion by dining with prominent women from history and myth. Renton Civic Theater examines Proof (April 10-25), about a young woman, grieved by her father’s death, who may have inherited both his genius and madness.

Edmond’s Driftwood Players has two productions in April: Auntie Mame, the non-musical version of the story (April 17-May 3), about a woman who lives life to the absolute fullest and Do Buddhists Drink Beer? (April 26-May 24) by Jeff Stilwell, a world premiere from a local playwright, about bus stops and accepting life as a journey. Nebunele Theater world premieres a company-developed project, Cussing at the Moon (April 24-May 10), a story of three estranged adult sisters who come together after one of them makes a surprising, disastrous leap from the Aurora Bridge. Another world premiere is Open Circle Theater’s The Center of the Universe (April 24-May 23) by local playwright Dustin Engstrom, a science fiction comedy, involving pan-dimensional doorways, gay lovers, and the whole universe.

Another world premiere checks in as Backwards Ensemble Theatre Company debuts The Rez As I Saw It, (April 3-19) by Caleb Penn, about a white kid on the Suquamish Indian Reservation. And even another world premiere is Keefee’s House of Cards, by Stephen Hando at Printer’s Devil Theater (April 17-May 19), where your favorite blackjack dealer gets a long form opportunity to play onstage.

Annex Theatre presents the Northwest premiere of Love’s Tangled Web (April 17-May 16), a sex farce written by Charles Ludlam, featuring a crippled heiress, a greedy clergyman, a voodoo-practicing nymphet, and a randy gorilla. SecondStory Repertory sails in with Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore (April 3-May 2). Redwood Theatre presents the West Coast premiere of Illyria (April 24-May 9), with book, music, and lyrics by Peter Mills, adapted from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Ghost Light Theatricals presents Strindberg’s A Dream Play (April 2-19).

Our American Theater Company presents a reading of Don’t Drink the Water by Woody Allen, on April 20. South of Seattle, Tacoma Musical Playhouse presents Mel Brooks’ The Producers (April 24-May 17) and Harlequin Productions mounts The American Pilot (April 30-May 23), a haunting political drama by David Grieg.

Children can enjoy a reprise of Goodnight Moon, featuring book, music, and lyrics by Chad Henry (April 10-June 14) at Seattle Children’s Theatre. Storybook Theater tracks down Hansel and Gretel (Various Locations, April 25-May 24) and Renton Civic Theater makes a new comedy out of The Ugly Duckling (April 19-27), when a plain prince and princess get substitutions of beautiful stand-ins at their own wedding.